XN000022-1978-12-08 — Page 14

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1978

YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S CENTRE OPENED IN TUEN MUN

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THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. JIMMY SWEETMAN SAIB TODAY (FRIDAY) A NEW CONCEPT IN TOWN PLANNING HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TÖ BETTER MEET THE NEEDS FOR WELFARE SERVICES IN NEW HOUSING ESTATES.

ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE TAI HING CHRISTIAN YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S SERVICE CENTRE IN TUEN MUN, MR. SWEETMAN SAID WHENEVER A NEW HOUSING ESTATE WAS PLANNED, THE FUTURE DEMAND OF ITS RESIDENTS FOR WELFARE SERVICES WAS ASSESSED AND INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OF THE ESTATE.

+ IT IS HOPED THAT THROUGH SUCH ARRANGEMENTS, WELFARE SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE ONCE THE RESIDENTS MOVE INTO THE NEW ESTATES, HE SAID.

THE NEW YOUTH CENTRE, PARTLY FINANCED BY THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES FUND THROUGH THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, IS RUN BY THE FINNISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY TO SERVE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TAI HING ESTATE THE SECOND PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE IN TUEN MUN.

MR. SWEETMAN SAID THE ESTATE WOULD EVENTUALLY HAVE A POPULATION OF OVER 54,000 AND YOUNGSTERS MOVING IN WOULD NATURALLY CREATE A DEMAND FOR WHOLESOME GROUP ACTIVITIES.

*WITH THE OPENING OF THE YOUTH CENTRE, THEY WILL BE GUIDED BY THE EXPERTISE OF ITS WORKERS WHO PROVIDE SUCH SERVICES AS INTEREST GROUPS, LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSES AND OTHER COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AIMED ÁT TRAINING THEM TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS AND DEVELOPING THE IR LEADERSHIP POTENTIALS,+ HE SAID.

HE PRAISED THE FINNISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY FOR ITS WORK IN THE FIELD OF WELFARE SERVICES, PARTICULARLY THE NEW YOUTH CENTRE WHICH ALREADY HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF 400 YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE DISTRICT.

IN RECENT YEARS, HE NOTED, THE SOCIETY HAS OPENED THE LING OI YOUTH CENTRE, THE LING ON DAY NURSERY AND THE HON LOK RECREATION CENTRE ONE AFTER ANOTHER.

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