ENG-1975 — Page 146

SOCIAL WELFARE

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Kong, comprising some 70 welfare bodies (Appendix 43B), represents an endeavour by the member agencies to centralise and co-ordinate their local fund-raising activities.

In the financial year 1974-5, overall government expenditure on social welfare- including departmental costs, direct welfare services and subventions-amounted to $212.5 million. This was an increase of some 65 per cent on the previous year. A further $7.5 million was provided from the Lotteries Fund in capital grants.

Group and Community Work

The aim of group and community work is to foster a sense of individual and collective responsibility in the community. It encourages the formation of common interest and other groups and the promotion of community self-help betterment schemes. Social and recreational facilities are also provided for young people.

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The group and community work division of the Social Welfare Department works through a network of community centres, estate welfare buildings and community halls. These bring neighbourhood welfare services conveniently together under one roof and provide such facilities as libraries, day nurseries, clubs for all age groups, family counselling and other services. In addition, programmes are organised for young people and children in parks and playgrounds. The division is represented in the field by community and youth officers whose responsibilities are to stimulate and co-ordinate the development of community and youth services within their districts. The division also has a rural mobile service which provides library and other facilities for people in remote and isolated villages.

A substantial contribution towards the provision of recreational and social services for young people is made by voluntary agencies such as the Lutheran World Service, Caritas, YMCA, YWCA, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association and many others. These agencies are particularly active in the organisation of youth and children's centres and also play an important role in play leadership programmes, in arranging detached work for young people, and in providing counselling services for youth.

Family Welfare Services

The family services division works through a regionalised network of 17 field offices and has responsibility primarily for the welfare of families, with particular reference to women and children. By means of office interviews, home and other visits, the division provides counselling on problems of family and inter-personal relationships, abuse and ill-treatment of children, and on difficulties arising from mental and physical disability, unemployment, illnesses, and sudden loss of the family breadwinner. The division's activities also cover the care and protection of young girls exposed to moral or other danger; arrangement of referrals for schooling, em- ployment, housing, financial assistance and medical attention; and the placement of children, the aged and the disabled in appropriate institutions. The number of families and individuals to whom such help was extended in 1975 totalled 23,478.

The division exercises certain of the Social Welfare Department's statutory responsibilities in terms of the Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance and the