XN000022-1979-01-29 — Page 6

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MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1979

TWO MORE COMMUNITY HALLS FOR PUBLIC ESTATES

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TWO MORE COMMUNITY HALLS WILL BE OPENED SHORTLY AND ANOTHER TWO ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF PROVIDING A COMMUNITY HALL FOR EVERY PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE WITH A POPULATION BETWEEN 20,000 AND 50,000.

THE COMMUNITY HALLS AT TAI HING IN TUEN MUN AND SHEK YAM IN KWAI CHUNG ARE IN FACT ALREADY OPERATING BUT THEIR OFFICIAL OPENING IS SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS YEAR.

THE TWO OTHER COMMUNITY HALLS AT PAK TIN IN SHEK KIP MEI, AND WO CHE IN SHA TIN WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, SAID MR. LAM KWOK-WAN, THE PRINCIPAL SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER (OPERATION) OF THE GROUP AND COMMUNITY WORK DIVISION OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

AT PRESENT, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OPERATES SEVEN COMMUNITY HALLS AT LEI MUK SHUE, LAI KING, KWAI FONG, KWA I SHING, LEK YUEN, YUE WAN AND HING WAH ESTATES.

+A COMMUNITY HALL SERVES AS A FOCAL POINT FOR GROUP AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGE GROUPS IN A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE AND PROVIDES A PLACE FOR RESIDENTS TO MEET AND PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES,+ HE EXPLAINED.

+THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, THE RESIDENTS MAY ENHANCE THE IR KNOWLEDGE, DEVELOP A SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, CULTIVATE A SPIRIT OF MUTUAL HELP AND CO-OPERATION AND ENRICH THE IR QUALITY OF LIFE, HE CONTINUED.

THE RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVITIES ORGANISED AT THE COMMUNITY HALLS ARE QUITE ENCOURAGING, PARTICULARLY THE EVENING PROGRAMMES. +SINCE THE COMMUNITY HALLS ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS. WE HOPE THEY WILL MAKE FULL USE OF THE FACILITIES, MR. LAM ADDED.

A STANDARD COMMUNITY HALL COMPRISES A MULTI-PURPOSE ASSEMBLY HALL, A STAGE WITH TWO CHANGING ROOMS, AND A CONFERENCE ROOM.

THE ASSEMBLY HALL HAS A SEATING CAPACITY OF 350 AND CAN BE USED FOR INDOOR GROUP ACTIVITIES, EXHIBITIONS, BALL GAMES AND A VARIETY OF OTHER PROGRAMMES,

ALL THESE FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR LOAN BY LOCAL YOUTH GROUPS, SCHOOLS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND LOCAL ORGANISATIONS.

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