ENG-2001 — Page 471

CHAPTER 21

Recreation, Sport and the Arts

RECREATION, sport and the arts provide opportunities for the people of Hong Kong to enrich the quality of their lives. The Government aims to nurture an environment in which freedom of creativity, pluralistic development of the arts, sporting excellence and recreation for the community can thrive.

The Government's policies on sport, recreation, culture and heritage matters are co-ordinated by the Home Affairs Bureau. A number of expert bodies contribute to the development of these policies, including the Hong Kong Sports Development Board, the Culture and Heritage Commission, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Antiquities Advisory Board.

The continued development of Hong Kong's sporting and artistic culture is in part entrusted to the Hong Kong Sports Development Board and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, both of which are statutory bodies. These two organisations have continued to implement plans for the development of their respective fields. Specific projects have been funded by grants from the $300 million Arts and Sport Development Fund, which was set up in 1997 to help the board and the council implement the initiatives in their strategic plans.

Hong Kong people enjoy access to a wide range of sports, recreational and cultural facilities. Many of these are built and managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). The main objective of the department is to enrich the community's quality of life through the promotion and provision of cultural and recreational facilities and activities.

In the field of sport and recreation, the LCSD is responsible for promoting and developing recreation and sport at the community level. In 2001, the department continued to co-ordinate the provision of high-quality recreational and sports facilities; and to support and organise training programmes and sports competitions. so that talented individuals could be identified and to improve sports standards.

The department also works closely with District Councils, the National Sports Associations under the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, district sports associations and schools to promote the concept of 'Sport-for- All' and to encourage people of all ages and from all walks of life to participate in sports and recreational activities.

The sports promotion and development programmes in 2001 included the Young Athletes Training Scheme, School Sports Programme, Community Sports Club Project, District Sports Teams and Age Group Competitions. The department also administered a Sports Subsidy Scheme to provide financial assistance to National Sports Associations to organise sports programmes for young people and designated

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