XN000022-1981-07-21 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1981

VOLUNTARY WORK ESSENTIAL IN HONG KONG, SAYS SNT

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VOLUNTARY WORK, SERVICE AND CHARITY ARE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

OF HONG KONG'S SOCIAL FABRIC, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

CLUB.

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE LUNCH MEETING OF BEACON HILL LIONS

AS MR F.K. HU HAD OBSERVED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE, HONG KONG IS FAMOUS FOR THE PHILANTHROPY OF ITS CITIZENS, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

THE ANNUAL WALKS FOR MILLIONS RAISED EVER LARGER SUMS FOR THE COMMUNITY CHEST AND HONG KONG HOLDS THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE GREATEST AMOUNT RAISED BY A SINGLE WALK.

IN THEIR FIRST YEAR, 1970, THEY RAISED JUST $1 MILLION 10 YEARS LATER $7 MILLION WAS RAISED.

THE WALKS HAD ATTRACTED DONATIONS LARGE AND SMALL AND INVOLVED OVER EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE IN RAISING FUNDS FOR OVER 77 COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY CHEST.

THE SIGHT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, IN COLOURFUL CLOTHES ON A BRIGHT MORNING IN WINTER, STRIDING OUT TO MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS GREAT COLLECTION OF FUNDS FOR CHARITY, IS A HEARTWARMING AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE, HE SAID.

SOMETIMES WEALTHIER PEOPLE DONATED A MILLION OR SEVERAL MILLIONS TO A PARTICULAR PROJECT1 THESE LARGE GIFTS WERE A STIMULUS AND OFTEN ENABLED PROJECTS TO GET STARTED WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE TO WAIT FOR YEARS BEFORE THE FULL AMOUNT OF PUBLIC FUNDS COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.

IN THE LAST TWO YEARS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SUCH GIFTS HAD ENABLED MAJOR SPORTS GROUNDS IN TUEN MUN AND SAI KUNG, SQUASH COURTS IN YUEN LONG AND FANLING, AND A GAMES HALL CENTRE IN NORTH KWAI CHUNG TO BE BUILT.

THESE WERE MAJOR RECREATIONAL PROJECTS BUT ONE DONATION WAS ENOUGH TO GET THEM GOING.

MOST OF THEM WERE ALREADY PLANNED BUT THEY WERE PROJECTS FOR WHICH THE FULL AMOUNT OF PUBLIC FUNDS WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND WORK WAS HELD UP.

NOW THEY WERE GOING AHEAD AND WOULD BRING PLEASURE TO THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

+PRIVATE INITIATIVE IN THIS FIELD IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF OUR WAY OF DOING THINGS, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

/+SOMETIMES THE