Pilot Neighbourhood Active Ageing Project launched (with photo)
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    The Government and the Elderly Commission jointly launched the Pilot Neighbourhood Active Ageing Project today (January 26) to promote the concept of active ageing and enhance neighbourhood support with a view to creating a harmonious society.

     Officiating at a ceremony to launch the pilot project this afternoon, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said, :Initiated by the Elderly Commission, the pilot project seeks to establish a support network in a neighbourhood setting with the elders playing a leading role. It will mobilise different organisations and individuals who are interested in serving the community to promote the message of active ageing.

     :As the Chinese proverb says, .Good neighbours are more helpful than distant relatives・. Mutual support among neighbours is indeed a Chinese tradition. Often, our neighbours can offer timely help when we are in need while distant relatives may not be able to offer immediate assistance."

     The pilot project encourages people of different age groups to serve as volunteers to care for the elderly. They can help the elderly stay in touch with society and foster intergenerational harmony, while the elderly can contribute as volunteers, a new force in the community, and lead a flourishing life, Mr Cheung noted.

     Also officiating at the ceremony was the Chairman of the Elderly Commission, Dr Leong Che-hung. Dr Leong said that the commission had been working closely with the Government to promote active ageing. He thanked all the organisations and individuals  concerned for making tremendous efforts to bring about the launching of the pilot project. :They fully demonstrated the spirit of cross-sectoral collaboration and intergenerational harmony,; he added.

     Under the pilot project, non-governmental organisations will enter into partnership with residents・ organisations, elder academies, religious groups, schools or the commercial sector to train up volunteers to organise activities regularly for the elderly and pay visits to singleton elders to strengthen neighbourhood support. They can also help to identify hidden elders or elders-in-need for non-governmental organisations to follow up with district elderly community centres, neighbourhood elderly centres and social centres for the elderly.

     The two-year pilot project will be carried out in 15 areas across the territory, reaching out to every sector of the community, including private residential estates, public housing estates, old tenement buildings and rural areas, and is expected to cover about 25,000 elders.

     The Housing Authority, Housing Society and Sun Hung Kai Properties have shown support for the launching of the project in their housing estates. The Hong Kong Geriatric Society will collaborate with the Department of Health to provide training on care for and health of the elderly.

     Mr Cheung and Dr Leong were both impressed by the organisations・ enthusiasm to serve the community and wished them every success with the pilot project.

Ends/Saturday, January 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:30

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