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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, visited the Volunteer Action Centre of the Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS) this afternoon (August 7) to learn more about the functions of the AVS and the current services provided by the Centre. He also took the opportunity to talk with the volunteers.
Accompanied by the Chairman of the AVS, Mr Lee Jark-pui, and Chief Executive Officer, Ms Flora Chung, Mr Cheung was first briefed by staff of the AVS on its area of work and development objectives which include volunteer referral service, training and development for volunteers, public education and promotion.
Mr Cheung expressed thanks to the AVS for providing an effective platform to promote and support volunteer service. He said, "There is no limit of age and boundary for volunteer service. Apart from individual participants, an increasing number of corporations have formed their company volunteer teams while many families are taking the opportunity as a form of parent-and-child activity." He also welcomed AVS's initiative to capitalise on the talent and skills of volunteers to assist non-profit organisations and the disadvantaged through the establishment of the Volunteer Talent Bank Specialised Service Teams.
Mr Cheung then toured the Centre's office and chatted with some volunteers. He said he was glad to know that many of them were retirees, including a company executive, school principal, police officer and civil servant. "With an ageing population in Hong Kong, many 'younger' elderly people are indeed still healthy and energetic. The AVS platform, coupled with the $2 transport subsidy scheme (Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities), is conducive to 'active ageing'. I thus encourage more retirees to continue contributing towards the community through participation in volunteer service," Mr Cheung said.
He added that the HKSAR Government attached importance to the development of volunteer service. The Social Welfare Department has spearheaded a territory-wide "volunteer movement" since 1998 and set up a Steering Committee on Promotion of Volunteer Service to strengthen coordination and co-operation between government departments and various sectors. By the end of last year, more than 1.2 million of volunteers and 2 507 organisations had registered as volunteers.
Before concluding the visit, Mr Cheung encouraged the volunteers to carry on with the promotion of volunteering in Hong Kong with a view to creating a caring and harmonious society.
The AVS is a non-profit organisation founded in 1970. Over the years, it has been dedicated to playing a pivotal role in developing partnerships with various sectors of the community to provide quality volunteer services. The AVS is also the International Association for Volunteer Effort representative for Hong Kong, with the mission of enhancing networking and development with volunteer organisations abroad.
Ends/Thursday, August 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:35
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