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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1980
RSS PROVIDES PLAY OPPORTUNITIES
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THE AIM OF THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE (RSS) IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN TO DO SOMETHING ENJOYABLE AND MEANINGFUL WITH THEIR LEISURE TIME, THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID TODAY AT THE FOUNDER'S DAY OF METHODIST COLLEGE.
HE SAID PLAY WAS A BASIC HUMAN NEED. THROUGH PLAY, SMALL CHILDREN LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD AND LEARN HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OTHERS. AFTER CHILDHOOD, PLAY CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT, BOTH FOR THE PHYSICAL BENEFIT WHICH EXERCISE BRINGS WITH IT, AND FOR THE SOCIAL CONTACT IT MAKES POSSIBLE, MR WIGGHAM SAID.
IT IS
SINCE PLAY - RECREATION IS VITAL TO OUR MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AS WELL AS OUR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. THE AIM OF THE RSS TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO DO so, HE SAID.
THE RSS WAS SET UP IN LATE 1974. IN ITS FIRST FULL YEAR OF OPERATION, ABOUT 130 000 PEOPLE TOOK PART IN ITS ACTIVITIES. IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE THEN, THE ANNUAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS INCREASED TO ALMOST HALF A MILLION, AND IN EVERY YEAR SINCE IT STARTED, ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE BEEN AGED UNDER 25.
+EVERY MONTH EACH OF THE 17 RSS DISTRICT OFFICES ORGANISES SEVERAL DOZEN DIFFERENT PROGRAMMES SPORTS TRAINING COURSES RECREATIONAL EXCURSIONS, LOCAL COMPETITIONS, LARGE-SCALE DISTRICT FUN DAYS, OR ACTIVITIES PUBLICISING A GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN. LAST YEAR THE SERVICE AS A WHOLE RAN ALMOST 4000 DIFFERENT ACTIVITES, MR WIGGHAM SAID.
HOWEVER, HE EMPHASISED THAT THE RSS WAS NOT JUST A MASS PRODUCTION MACHINE CONCERNED WITH NUMBERS. EVERY ACTIVITY IT ORGANISED HAD A PURPOSE. IT MIGHT BE TO INTRODUCE A NEW SPORT TO THE PUBLIC, TO STIMULATE A CERTAIN GROUP TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE, TO DEVELOP A PARTICULAR SPORT BY ORGANISING A TRAINING COURSE FOR INSTRUCTORS OR JUDGES OR OTHER SKILLED PERSONNEL, OR IT MIGHT BE TO PROVIDE THE INDIVIDUAL WITH ENOUGH BASIC TRAINING TO ENABLE HIM - OR HER TO JOIN A CLUB AND DEVELOP THAT INTEREST AND SKILL STILL FURTHER.
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+OR IT MIGHT BE JUST TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER WITHIN THEIR OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD, TO HELP THEM FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING, A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, MR WIGGHAM SAID.
+AS OUR CITY BECOMES MORE CROWDED, WE NEED MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRYSIDE. I AM SURE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE RSS'S SAI KUNG OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTRE WHICH HAS PROVED SO POPULAR.
+ANOTHER CENTRE IS BEING PLANNED NEAR TSUEN WAN, DUE TO OPEN IN 1983, AND OUR FIRST HOLIDAY VILLAGE WILL OPEN AT THE END OF THIS YEAR AT TSAK YUE WU IN THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK, HE DISCLOSED.
/HE ADDED