XN000022-1977-12-11 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1977

+AS FOR THE GRANT FOR GROUP AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, ALLOCATIONS FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND WILL BE USED FOR PROJECTS SUCH AS THE SETTING UP OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES, SOCIAL SERVICES CENTRES AND COMMUNITY CENTRES,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

TURNING TO THE $7 MILLION GRANT FOR FAMILY SERVICES, HE NOTED THAT MORE THAN $6 MILLION WOULD BE USED FOR THE EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT ON CHILD CARE SERVICE WHILE THE REST OF THE SUM WOULD BE FOR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES RUNNING CHILDREN'S HOMES.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT SO FAR THIS YEAR, MAJOR CAPITAL GRANTS APPROVED FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND INCLUDE $1.5 MILLION TO THE MONGKOK KAIFONG WELFARE ASSOCIATION TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING OF THE PROPOSED SOCIAL SERVICES CENTRE.

+ANOTHER $1.5 MILLION HAS BEEN ALLOTTED IN LOK SIN TONG BENEVOLENT SOCIETY AND $1 MILLION TO THE SIK SIK YUEN TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TWO HOMES FOR THE AGED.

+ABOUT $1.3 MILLION HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TRAINING CENTRE FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN.

+THE PO LEUNG KUK, THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION AND THE CARITAS WILL EACH SET UP AN EXPERIMENTAL CENTRE FOR THE SEVERELY NENTALLY RETARDED WITH A TOTAL OF MORE THAN $1.34 MILLION GRANTS FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND, HE ADDED.

TODAY, MORE THAN 180 WELFARE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE FUND WHICH WAS SET UP IN 1965. UP TILL THE END OF OCTOBER THIS YEAR, THE TOTAL INCOME OF THE FUND AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $108 MILLION. OF THIS, MORE THAN $90 MILLION HAD BEEN APPROVED FOR 570 PROJECTS INITIATED BY THESE ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG.

REFERRING TO THE SOURCES OF INCOME FOR THE LOTTERIES FUND IN THE PAST YEARS THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT ABOUT 46 PER CENT HAD BEEN PROCEEDS FROM LOTTERIES SALES, 20 PER CENT FROM PROCEEDS FROM MARK VI, FIVE PER CENT FROM AUCTIONS OF SPECIAL VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBERS, 11 PER CENT FROM FORFEITURE OF UNCLAIMED PRIZE MONEY AND THE REST FROM ACCRUED INTEREST, REFUNDS OF GRANTS AND REPAYMENT OF LOANS.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS FROM THE FUND WOULD BE ENTERTAINED FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES: CAPITAL SUBVENTION TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES- RECURRENT GRANTS OF LIMITED DURATION TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS= CAPITAL LOANS TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT CAPITAL PROJECTS WITHIN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES

EXCEPT PROJECTS IN SUPPORT OF STATUTORY DUTIES AND GENERAL MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS.

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