XN000022-1976-06-05 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1976

PLAY LEADERSHIP SCHEME ******

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A SUCCESS

YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN THE DENSELY-POPULATED SHAM SHUI PO DISTRICT ARE NOW SPENDING THEIR LEISURE TIME IN A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.

THIS HAS COME ABOUT UNDER A PLAY LEADERSHIP SCHEME LAUNCHED BY THE SHAM SHUT PO YOUTH CENTRE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IN OCTOBER 1974.

THE SCHEME HAS PROVED TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS SINCE ITS IMPLEMENTATION. TOTAL ATTENDANCE IN THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ORGAN- ISED UNDER THE SCHEME REACHED AN AVERAGE OF 4,000 PER MONTH IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 1975.

THERE ARE AT PRESENT THREE PLAY LEADERS ENGAGED IN THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF THE SCHEME UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A STEERING COMMITTEE.

OF THE THREE PLAY LEADERS, TWO ARE SWD STAFF WORKING FULL-TIME AND THE OTHER IS A POST-SECONDARY STUDENT HELPING OUT ON A PART-TIME BASIS.

MR. CHENG PO-WONG, OFF ICER-IN-CHARGE OF THE PLAY LEADERSHIP SCHEME SAID, +OUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED NOT ONLY TOWARDS THE PLANNING AND ORGANISING OF PROGRAMMES TO ENRICH THE PLAY LIFE OF YOUNG PEOPLE BUT ALSO TOWARDS USING THESE ACTIVITIES AS A MEANS TO MODIFY THEIR BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDE,+

THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THESE ACTIVITIES, YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR SENSE OF FAIR PLAY AND ESTABLISH THE RIGHT SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PLAY LEADERSHIP SCHEME IN THIS RESPECT CAN BE FOUND IN THE MAPLE STREET PLAYGROUND.

THIS PLAYGROUND USED TO BE A PROHIBITED AREA FOR GIRLS AND THE MORE RULE-ABIDING YOUTHS BECAUSE IT WAS MONOPOLISED BY SEVERAL GROUPS OF REBELLIOUS YOUTHS WHO OFTEN PESTERED OTHER PLAYERS AND EVEN REFUSED TO ALLOW PERMIT-HOLDERS TO USE THE FOOTBALL PITCH.

TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM, TACT AND PATIENCE WERE REQUIRED. THE PLAY LEADERS TRIED TO APPROACH THE MORE ACCESSIBLE +REBELLIOUS YOUTHS+ AND THEN THEIR LEADERS BY SUGGESTING TO FORM THEMSELVES UP INTO FOOTBALL PLAY GROUPS.

FRIENDLY MATCHES WERE THEN ORGANISED AMONG THESE +REBELLIOUS YOUTHS+ AND OTHER PLAY GROUPS TO IMPROVE INTER-GROUP RELATIONSHIP.

/LEADERS OF