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SOCIAL WELFARE
GROUP AND COMMUNITY WORK
Community development connotes a process by which people of an area are encouraged to acquire a better appreciation of problems which affect them both as individuals and as members of the com- munity by mutual co-operation to promote their well-being. This concept is inherent in the establishment and growth of the kaifong welfare associations in the urban areas and the rural committees in the New Territories, as well as other voluntary bodies which pro- mote social and welfare activities.
The Social Welfare Department plays a leading role in this activity and is responsible for the operation of eight community, social and youth centres. Construction of the Yuen Long Town Hall has been completed, and one for Chai Wan is being planned. These centres provide facilities such as day nurseries, libraries, clubs for all ages, and a communal hall as well as casework service and various forms of vocational training. Their purpose is twofold: first, to provide the population of developing townships with a centrally located building for group and communal activities; and second, to encourage the predominantly youthful population of Hong Kong to take part in healthy and meaningful pursuits, which will give them a sense of mutual co-operation and civic responsibility and develop their capacity for leadership.
Group and community work is not confined to community centres: its extension beyond the limits of various centres began in February 1969 with the appointment of four District Community Officers on an experimental basis. Their appointment stems from the fact that the need for community and group services is evident as much in the older, more established urban districts as in the resettlement areas and new townships. The four District Community Officers work in close relationship with the City District Officers of Yau Ma Tei and Sham Shui Po in Kowloon, and of the Western and Wan Chai Districts on Hong Kong Island. Their task is to foster the growth of responsible attitudes towards citizenship and to encourage people to take a more active part in the furtherance of local objects and activities which are beneficial to their districts. Consideration is being given to additional appointments on a per- manent basis.