SOCIAL WELFARE
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courses in voluntary leadership and subsequently helped to run clubs and play centres for young children.
Towards the end of the year, a Festival of Youth was presented by the Division of Children and Youth of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. This featured performances by many youth groups, youth balls and a static display depicting the work of 19 member organizations of the division. Overlapping this week was a ten-day Regional Youth Conference sponsored by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service on the theme of 'Youth In a Rapidly Changing World'. This was attended by 16 delegates from nearby countries. Hong Kong was represented by 40 delegates from mem- ber organizations of the council.
The future development of youth services was facilitated by capital grants from the Lotteries Fund for the establishment of new camps for the Boy Scouts Association at a cost of about $400,000, and for the establishment of a new youth centre in the crowded Yau Ma Tei district with a special bias towards detached work among street corner groups. Financial assistance was also provided during the year for the first stages of a five year planned expansion of the Boy Scouts. Meantime the Social Welfare Depart- ment, through the generosity of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong, established a youth centre and hostel at Fanling, to provide indoor and outdoor recreational activities for the youths of the surrounding area and hostel facilities for groups from the urban area. The Federation of Youth Groups also with Rotary Club support opened a new youth centre in the Sau Mau Ping Resettlement estate.
CHILD WELFARE
Voluntary agencies provide residential child care and are active in the establishment of day care centres for young children of working mothers. Six new non-profit-making nurseries and two play centres were opened during the year, and the total places available in day care centres rose from 13,000 in 1966 to 13,500. Many of these agencies receive government subventions towards their work.
Planning for a new training centre which will provide courses for nursery and child care workers and also for youth workers