SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1986 ·
YOUTH CENTRES PLAY KEY ROLE *****
THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO STEADY EXPANSION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES AND IS SPENDING $92 MILLION YEARLY TO ASSIST VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN OPERATING THEM, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ANSON CHAN, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CHINESE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YMCA) LAI YIU CENTRE IN KWAI CHUNG, SHE NOTED THAT THERE WERE NOW 143 CHILDREN CENTRES AND 154 YOUTH CENTRES.
THEY OFFERED VARIOUS KINDS OF OUTDOOR AND INDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD HELD DEVELOP THE CHARACTER, LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AND SOCIALISATION SKILLS OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
MRS CHAN STRESSED THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE CENTRES DEPENDED ON SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY AND MEMBERS THEMSELVES IN ADDITION TO THE INVOLVEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS.
+ IF RESIDENTS CAN CO-OPERATE AND CONTRIBUTE IDEAS, THE ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THESE CENTRES WILL BETTER MEET THE REAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THUS ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS, SHE SAID. +ULTIMATELY, THE SUCCESS OF THESE CENTRES DEPENDS ON THE EXTENT OF ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THEIR MEMBERS AND ON WHETHER MEMBERS ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE ASSISTANCE OF THE STAFF AND THE FRIENDS THEY MAKE THERE.+
MRS CHAN CONGRATULATED THE YMCA ON ITS 85TH ANNIVERSARY AS WELL AS ON THE OPENING OF THE LAI YIU CENTRE.
PARENTS ADVISED ON HOME CARE OF HANDICAPPED
*****
ABOUT 100 PARENTS ATTENDED A SEMINAR ON HOME CARE OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AT THE HENRY G. LEONG YAU MA TEI COMMUNITY CENTRE THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING.
THE PARENTS, MOSTLY NON-WORKING PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN WAITING FOR PLACEMENT IN WORK ACTIVITY.CENTRES, WERE BRIEFED ON BASIC CONCEPTS AND SKILLS IN LOOKING AFTER MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AT HOME.
TALKS WERE GIVEN BY AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, MISS JUNE YEOW, AND A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, MR PATRICK YAU. A QUESTION-AND- ANSWER SESSION FOLLOWED.
THE SEMINAR WAS ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EDUCATION IN REHABILITATION.
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