Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1962-1963 — Page 31

Social Welfare Annual Reports 社會福利署年報 All

84. In this work, the Youth Welfare Section of the Department endeavours to stimulate the development of new and improved services. Typical of the Section's work are its groups at the Princess Alexandra, Tsan Yuk and Kwun Tong Community and Social Centres. The scope of these activities is indicated by the following examples; at Tsan Yuk Social Centre, 32 Youth Group members organized a club for 85 children aged 8 to 12 during the summer holidays; these members are busy preparing a Chinese play to finance a similar project this summer. In the Princess Alexandra Community Centre, a group for secondary students has been established in co-operation with the Chinese Y.M.C.A. All these centres have a full range of clubs and interest and recreational groups for children and young people. Almost 3,000 children attend the clubs in the Community and Social Centres every week.

85. The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association continued its valuable work in ministering to the needs of the several thousands of children between the ages of 8 and 14 who still do not attend primary school. Four new Clubs had been established and at the end of the year the Association had 6,109 members in 132 clubs run directly, and there were a further 7,195 in 76 affiliated clubs.

86. The Lions Y.M.C.A. Camp at Junk Bay gave a summer holiday of ten days to 2,729 children. The Hong Kong Conference of Youth Organizations' Camp at Silver Mine Bay was used by 3,103 children. It is interesting to record that during a week's stay, a child gains an average of two pounds in weight, one indication of the value of camps of this sort. A promising experiment was the week spent by 43 boys and 46 girls from Fuk Wah Street Government School in the Camp, where they continued their lessons; this arrangement will be extended to non-Government school children in the future. The Confer- ence has found a site on Lantau Island to build a second holiday camp, with funds allocated by the United Kingdom World Refugee Year Committee. In October, the foundation stone was laid for the Caritas Camp in Cheung Chau. When completed, these two camps will provide holidays for another 6,000 children a year.

87. One activity which is probably more popular than any other with Hong Kong children is reading. The Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce equipped its 23rd children's library in St. Christopher's Home near Tai Po. The two libraries of the Children's Playground Association attracted a total of 218,600 visits. The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association opened three more libraries, at Ma Tau Wei, Li

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