XN000022-1982-03-16 — Page 5

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1982

MORE SOCIAL CENTRES FOR AGED TO OPEN

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FIFTEEN NEW SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY ARE EXPECTED TO BE OPENED IN THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR SELWYN ALLEYNE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

THERE ARE NOW 45 SUBVENTED SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE AGED, HE SAID AT THE OPENING OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS' WONG SHIU CHING SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY AT WAH FU ESTATE.

THESE CENTRES ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE FACILITIES TO ENABLE PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 60 TO ENJOY RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES TAILORED TO THEIR NEEDS, FOSTER SOCIAL CONTACT AMONG PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR NEEDS AND INTERESTS AND FORESTALL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS.+

THE PLANNING RATIO FOR SOCIAL CENTRES IS ONE FOR EVERY 30 000 POPULATION AND THE SPACE ALLOCATED IS ABOUT 169 SQ. METRES.

+ON THIS BASIS, WE ARE STILL SHORT OF SOCIAL CENTRES, +

MR ALLEYNE SAID.

THE CENTRES HAD BEEN CLASSIFIED AS CATEGORY II SERVICE UNDER THE NEW SUBVENTION SYSTEM AND WERE ONE OF THE SERVICES FOR WHICH WE WISH TO ATTRACT COMMUNITY SUPPORT.+

HE SAID THAT PENDING THE DETERMINATION OF STANDARD COSTS FOR SOCIAL CENTRES AND THE APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE OF THE STANDARD COST TO BE SUPPORTED, THE SUBVENTION FOR 1982 FOR SOCIAL CENTRES WOULD BE BASED ON 70 PER CENT OF THE RECOGNISED EXPENDITURE OF INDIVIDUAL CENTRES.

+THIS PERCENTAGE IS BASED BROADLY ON THE PAST LEVEL OF SUPPORT AND WILL ON THE AVERAGE, IN MONEY TERMS, AMOUNT TO AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 21 PER CENT OVER LAST YEAR'S SUBVENTION.+

THE NEW SOCIAL CENTRE OPENED TODAY WILL CATER FOR SOME 150 PEOPLE. IT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A GRANT FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND AND OTHER BENEFACTORS.

MAKING WONG TAI SIN A BETTER PLACE

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EFFORTS IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND THE PROMOTION OF INTEGRITY AND A FULLER LIFE FOR RESIDENTS WERE THE MAIN POINTS OF A TALK BY THE ICAC COMMISSIONER, MR P.B. WILLIAMS AT THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT BOARD HELD THIS AFTERNOON (TUESDAY) IN FUNG MING HALL, WONG TAI SIN TEMPLE.

AT THE MEETING THE BOARD ENDORSED A DISTRICT STRATEGY, WHICH PRESENTS COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR THE DISTRICT DURING THE 1980'S ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LIFE, INCLUDING CULTURE AND ART, RECREATION AND SPORTS, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS, URBAN COUNCIL FACILITIES, AND SOCIAL SERVICES.

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