XN000022-1982-03-12 — Page 7

FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1982

6

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN RECREATION AND CULTURE

****

THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS EMBARKED ON AN AMBITIOUS AND COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN A WIDE VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL PURSUITS, THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

HE SAID THE TASK IS AN EXCITING AND REWARDING ONE FOR THERE IS INTEREST AND TALENT WHICH, ONCE AWAKENED AND DEVELOPED, CAN PROVIDE ENJOYMENT AND PLEASURE BOTH TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

SPEAKING AT A JOINT LUNCHEON OF THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG (HOST) AND THE KOWLOON LIONS CLUB, MR WIGGHAM ALSO EXPLAINED THE AIMS AND ROLES OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT (RCD) WHICH WAS CREATED IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF GESTATION.+

+NEW DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT OFTEN CREATED. THEY ARE CERTAINLY NOT CREATED TO DUPLICATE THE WORK ALREADY BEING DONE ADEQUATELY ELSEWHERE,+ MR WIGGHAM SAID. +THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT IS HERE TO MEET A NEED. IT HAS WORK TO DO.+

MR WIGGHAM SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE BIRTH OF THE NEW DEPARTMENT, MANY PEOPLE WRONGLY THOUGHT HE WORKED FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL.

HE SAID THE URBAN COUNCIL HAS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY TO +MANAGE+ RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL FACILITIES FOR PUBLIC USE – MOST OF THEM BUILT BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THEN HANDED OVER TO BE RUN BY THE COUNCIL - THROUGH ITS EXECUTIVE ARM, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

IN ADDITION, HE CONTINUED, THE COUNCIL IS EMPOWERED TO PROVIDE +SPECTATOR ACTIVITIES+ SUCH AS CULTURAL PERFORMANCES IN THE CITY HALL OR SPORTS COMPETITIONS AND DISPLAYS IN THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM.

*IN OTHER WORDS THE URBAN COUNCIL IS FACILITY-ORIENTED AND IS CONCERNED WITH PROVIDING AND MANAGING FACILITIES; PRESENTING PERFORMANCES IN THEM, AND ENCOURAGING THE PUBLIC TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE FACILITIES,+ HE ELABORATED.

THE PRIME CONCERN OF THE RCD, HE SAID, IS THE PEOPLE WHO USE FACILITIES RUN BY THE UC.

+WE ARE MORE PEOPLE-ORIENTED, WHAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN, THROUGH THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE (RSS), A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT, IS ORGANISING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE,+ HE EMPHASISED.

THE RSS PROMOTES PHYSICAL RECREATION AND SPORTS IN THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH A NETWORK OF 19 DISTRICT OFFICES, WHERE PROFESSIONAL STAFF RUN COURSES OF INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO A PARTICULAR SPORTING ACTIVITY.

/IF AN