Camping' award. Boys at the Home are also taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme (see paragraph 88).
55. The Probation Section continued to maintain close liaison with the Children's Centre at Shanghai Street, Kowloon (now incorporated as the Society of Boys' Centres) by seconding one of its officers to act as Superintendent. This Centre was originally intended as an all-day club for boys and now has accommodation for 120 boys, half of whom are boarders. The emphasis in the activities at this Centre is on character training, for the boys come mainly from the poorest of homes or from homes where conditions and environment are undesirable and many have behaviour problems which can only be overcome by residential training. Classes are run to give the boys some primary education as well as trade training. During the year 104 boys were admitted and 110 discharged. Building of a new Home to replace the present dilapidated premises was well under way at the end of the year, funds having generously been made available by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club for the purpose.
56. The Juvenile Care Centre in Hong Kong and the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society were two other organizations with which close relations were maintained. The former caters for 120 children, is run on lines similar to the Shanghai Street Centre and offers board and accommodation to a limited number of children referred by Probation Officers. It has thus temporarily assumed, in addition to its other functions, that of a probation home. The Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, the task of which is to render assistance to and to rehabilitate discharged prisoners, provided such services as prison visiting, job- finding, temporary hostel accommodation and material assistance in cash and kind. It employs four caseworkers under a Welfare Officer and runs three hostels (two in Kowloon and one in Tsuen Wan). Its staff paid 205 visits to prisons and 1,224 visits to prisoners and discharged prisoners.
CHAPTER VIII
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
57. In spite of the generally prosperous conditions in the Colony and the increasing emphasis being placed on rehabilitating and restoring destitutes and others to full or partial economic independence, relief
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