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The Council’s Ma On Shan Children and Youth Integrated Service’s 25th anniversary celebrations took place on April 25. Ms. Gloria Lee of the Social Welfare Department, Council Director Dr Jane Lee, JP, and The Revd Hubert Che were guests of honour. More than 100 service users, both past and present, took part in the event to celebrate the integrated service’s 25th year milestone.   At the start of the event, the Ma On Shan Children and Youth Integrated Service Centre invited Ms Gloria Lee and Dr Jane Lee, JP, to officiate the opening ceremony. A group of young people from the centre then put on a dance performance, followed by service users taking turns to share their feelings and experiences on stage. The audience was moved by many of the speakers’ genuine emotions. An introduction to the centre’s services and games concluded the event.   Serving the community as a youth service centre since 1989, the Ma On Shan Children and Youth Integrated Service Centre was established in 1994 to cope with the changing needs of society. It is one of the first integrated youth service centres in Hong Kong. In 1997, the centre was reorganised into the Ma On Shan north and Ma On Shan south centres, providing onsite social work services to schools, reaching out to the community, as well as offering services at the centres. The centres launched late-night services in 2001 and in 2008, began offering counselling services at the centres to victims of substance abuse, extending the Council’s mission to the Ma On Shan community.

The 20th Outstanding Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 18th April 2015, which was attended by close to 300 volunteers, corporate volunteer representatives, representatives from volunteer organisations and guests. Dr Ko Wing Man, JP, BBS, Secretary for Food and Health, officiated the ceremony. Dr Ko talked about interesting past voluntary work experiences and reflections, and encouraged participants to give back to society by volunteering. At the ceremony, four “Honorary Awards” and 51 “Gold Awards” were presented to individual volunteers, while 11 corporations and 18 organisations were awarded the “Corporate Caring Awards” and “Organisation Caring Awards” respectively to commend the volunteers’ excellent performance over the past two years and to affirm their passion for and contributions to society.

The Kowloon City Children and Youth Integrated Service Centre was established in 1989. It was originally located along Ma Tau Chung Road in Kowloon City, and has been serving residents of the old district for 25 years. After being allotted a new premises by the Social Welfare Department, the centre moved to Ching Long Shopping Centre in the Kai Tak Development area in July 2014. Combining the social service experiences it accumulated in old Kowloon City with services for youngsters, family support services, school enrolment assistance, interest circles, volunteer services and women’s support services, the centre continues to serve new Kowloon City residents.   The centre celebrated its new premises and 25th anniversary during its 28th March 2015 launch. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Mr Matthew Cheung, GBS, JP, and the Bishop of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Eastern Kowloon the Rt Revd Dr Timothy Kwok were officiating guests. Close to 100 guests and other members of the community attended the ceremony to join the celebration for the relocation and the 25th anniversary milestone. The new centre which adopted L.I.F.E. – “Learning”, “Innovation”, “Fun” and “Exploration” – into the theme of its fresh interior design. Other design features included V-cafe, a playroom, a culinary zone and the V-fun band room. These features left a lasting impression on the guests, who also commended the centre for the support it provides for new residents of the district. A handful of members of the centre who have been participating in the centre’s activities for 25 years not only joined the 25th anniversary celebration – they also put on a fantastic show that lit up the atmosphere!

To cope with the huge demand for quality medical services in society, the Welfare Council launched a new community rehabilitation centre, the Centre of Wellness (Kwun Tong), in December 2014. The centre relies on a multidisciplinary team to provides assessment, consultation and follow-up services, including those for stroke rehabilitation, pain management, bone fractures, dementia, physical checkups and beauty treatments, to members from all walks of life.   Held on 20th March 2015, the centre’s launching event was attended by a handful of guests, including the clergy, members of the Welfare Council’s Executive Committee and sub-committees, as well as service users. During the launching ceremony, the Rt Revd Dr Timothy Kwok, Bishop of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Eastern Kowloon, the Rt Revd Andrew Chan, Bishop of the H.K.S.K.H. Diocese of Western Kowloon, Dr Donald Li, SBS, JP, Chairman of the Welfare Council Board of Directors, Dr Moses Cheng, GBS, OBE, JP, Honorary Legal Advisor of the Welfare Council Board of Directors and Dr Jane Lee, JP, Director of the Welfare Council adorned the greenery backdrop with heart-shaped fruit that symbolised the nourishing public support for the centre’s life-transforming role.

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