XN000022-1979-07-06 — Page 7

FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1979

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YUEN LONG SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME STARTS

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THE 1979 SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME IN YUEN LONG AIMED AT PROVIDING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR SOME 60,000 YOUNG PEOPLE SWUNG INTO ACTION THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING.

AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE DISTRICT'S PROGRAMME AT YUEN LONG'S HEUNG YEE KUK SECONDARY SCHOOL, MORE THAN 1,000 LOCAL STUDENTS GOT THEIR FIRST TASTE OF +SUMMER FUN+.

THEY WERE ENTERTAINED TO A SERIES OF COLOURFUL PERFORMANCES PUT ON BY SOME 200 PARTICIPANTS FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS.

AMONG THE PERFORMANCES ORGANISED BY THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT YOUTH RECREATION CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE WERE A FLAG PARADE BRASS BAND MUSIC, CYCLING DEMONSTRATION, SONG AND DANCES AND A GYMNASTIC DISPLAY.

THE REGIONAL COMMISSIONER (NORTH WEST) OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR. JIMMY SWEETMAN LAUNCHED THE PROGRAMME WHICH WILL LAST UNTIL EARLY SEPTEMBER.

ADDRESSING A PACKED AUDIENCE, MR. SWEETMAN SAID THIS WAS THE ELEVENTH YEAR OF THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMMES WHICH WERE NOW WELL ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

+THE PROGRAMMES INVOLVE A GREAT NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BODIES INCLUDING VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES, THE BRITISH FORCES, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND A VARIETY OF CLUBS SOCIETIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS, HE SAID.

+THIS CONCENTRATION OF RESOURCES ENABLES A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES TO BE PROVIDED WITH THE AIM OF ENCOURAGING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, HELPING THEM TO DEVELOP THEIR SELF-CONFIDENCE, SKILLS AND INTEREST, FOSTERING A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY" BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS,+ HE SAID.

AT THE SAME TIME MR. SWEETMAN POINTED OUT, IT ALSO ENABLED YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE A BREAK FROM THEIR CROWDED LIVING CONDITIONS AND HEAVY ACADEMIC WORKLOAD.

THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PROVIDED INCLUDE ALL FORMS OF SPORTS, CLASSES AND COMPETITIONS IN MUSIC, DANCING AND ART, AS WELL AS CAMPING AND BOATING,