XN000022-1980-09-30 — Page 6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1980

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SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME ENDS THIS WEEK

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THE 1980 SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME WHICH OFFERED MORE THAN 8 000 EVENTS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN HONG KONG DURING THE PAST THREE MONTHS CAME TO AN END THIS WEEK.

COMMENTING ON THE PROGRAMME MR BARRY WIGGHAM, COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE SAID THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAD WITNESSED YET ANOTHER +VERY SUCCESSFUL SEASON+ THIS YEAR.

THE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN INTERESTING AND VARIED, INCLUDING MANY TYPES OF OUTDOOR SPORTS AND GAMES, GROUP ENTERTAINMENT SUCH AS FUN FAIRS AND YOUTH CARNIVALS, AND TRAINING COURSES IN ASTRONOMY, AVIATION AND MUSIC. MANY COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS WERE ALSO ORGANISED.

SAID MR WIGGHAM1 +AN ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE THIS YEAR TO ORGANISE A TERRITORY-WIDE FUNCTION AT THE SHATIN RACE COURSE IN THE FORM OF A CARNIVAL TO DRAW YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ALL DISTRICTS TO WORK TOGETHER AND ENJOY A DAY OF FUN.

+THE CARNIVAL WAS SO POPULAR THAT ALL 8 000 TICKETS WERE SNAPPED UP IN TWO DAYS.+

+IN VIEW OF THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT, CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO ORGANISING MORE TERRITORY-WIDE ACTIVITIES NEXT YEAR, MR WIGGHAM ADDED.

MR WIGGHAM ATTRIBUTED THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMME TO THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB, WHICH DONATED $2.5 MILLION TOWARDS THE PROJECT, AND THE VARIOUS ORGANISERS WHO GAVE MUCH OF THE IR TIME AND ENERGY IN PLANNING AND RUNNING THE ACTIVITIES.

+THE CLUB HAS BEEN THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR OF FUNDS SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME IN 1969, MR WIGGHAM CONTINUED, AND I AM CONFIDENT IT WILL CONTINUE ITS GENEROUS SUPPORT IN FUTURE.+

MR WIGGHAM ALSO THANKED THE NUMEROUS ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD HELPED TO FINANCE THE PROGRAMME.

HE REPORTED THAT THE PROGRAMME HAD WON THE ACTIVE SUPPORT OF 50 MEMBER AGENCIES OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE MORE THAN 1 500 ODD PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND SOME 1 000 COMMUNITY CENTRES AND LOCAL GROUPS, NOT COUNTING THE URBAN COUNCIL AND VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

IN PARTICULAR, HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE 50 000 VOLUNTEERS, MANY OF THEM YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO SACRIFICED THEIR OWN LEISURE TIME TO PLAN AND MANAGE THE EVENTS FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF OTHERS.

+WITHOUT THE IR VALUABLE HELP, THE PROGRAMME WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL, HE SAID.

MR WIGGHAM STRESSED THAT THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE YOUNG PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.

/+THEY HAVE