Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1961-1962 — Page 34

departure, she unveiled a plaque bearing the new name of the Centre, 'The Princess Alexandra Community Centre'.

94. At Wong Tai Sin, the people continued to make more and more use of their Community Centre; a spirit of co-operation and a desire to give personal service and to do something to meet a particular need gradually developed. Some of those using the Centre's facilities were able to draw their own friends into the various activities or to set about finding alternative accommodation to pursue an interest when no space was available in the Community Centre. Recently the Fathers' Club entertained 100 aged people living in the area, the fathers defray- ing all expenses and personally cooking and serving the meal. It is noticeable that those taking part in the life of the Centre-over 500 every day-have begun to show more consideration for others and to share their skills, their belongings etc. with them; for instance, it has come more naturally to mothers to help their next-door neighbours to look after a baby or to assist with the household chores if someone is ill; where large crowds congregate for concerts or film shows, the different groups tend to assist in keeping order; readers in the library volunteer to help in various duties such as the receipt and issue of books.

95. Participants were beginning to respond more, as their proficiency and their satisfaction in the various activities increased. The staff at the Centre are fully conscious that they should gradually shift more and more responsibility to the people of Wong Tai Sin themselves, as they develop the skill and willingness to take a greater share in running the Centre.

96. While planning was going on for a third community centre to be built at Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate, the Department established a social centre on the ground floor of one of the resettlement blocks there. A public library was one of the first services to be started and over 600 readers visit it regularly; group activities were in the process of being organized.

97. The Tsan Yuk Social Centre situated in the heart of one of the most congested slum areas of Victoria was in constant use by the many who live in overcrowded tenements. Children's and young people's groups in drama, folk-dancing, etc. were most popular and more re- cently a Mothers' Group was also established, while the Centre's library provided a large number of children, who would otherwise tend to patronize dubious street libraries set up by pedlars, with a much better source of reading material.

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