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Fourteen youth volunteers selected for overseas tour
Fourteen winners of the 1995-96 Overseas Exchange Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteers will depart for Singapore and Malaysia at the end of this month on an exchange tour.
Mr Chan Ping-wah, chairman of the Organising Committee of this scheme, which is jointly organised by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the Hong Kong Council of Social Services (HKCSS), said today (Thursday) that a total of 217 nomination entries of outstanding youth volunteers were received this year. They covered secondary schools, welfare agencies and tertiary institutes.
He said the scheme was aimed at commending outstanding youth volunteers for their contribution to the society and the panel of adjudicators was impressed by the 14 winners' selfless commitment to serving the needy.
"We introduced an Overseas Exchange Programme for Outstanding Youth Volunteers two years ago to show due recognition to young people who undertake volunteering services as a means of expressing their concerns towards the community.
"The exchange tour will further enable them to share their experiences with their overseas counterparts so that they may serve the community better in future," he said.
Mr Chan said volunteer work was also conducive to an individual's personal development.
"Through participation in meaningful community services, such as visiting old people, making friends with probationers and organising activities for the disabled, young people can widen their horizons and sharpen leadership skills," he said.
Mr Chan noted that SWD had been organising the Opportunities for Youth Scheme for 20 years and youth groups were provided with grants to plan and implement projects which were of benefit to the community.
"One hundred and thirty one youth groups whose applications are successful for 1995-96 have been notified and funded in June," he said.
Suitable volunteers are enlisted to complement the effort of probationers in social rehabilitation under the Volunteer Scheme for Probationers introduced by SWD since 1976, he added.