There are 470,000 registered volunteers in Hong Kong and the total service hours last year amounted to over 11 million.

According to a government press release on Sunday, Hong Kong's volunteers usually take care of the old, handicapped, sick, mentally retarded, new comers to Hong Kong and other people who need help.

The service cover health care, giving guidance in study or training, visiting, chatting, entertainment and some other services for the needed.

To recognize the contribution of outstanding youth volunteers and expand their horizon, Hong Kong's Social Welfare Department's Steering Committee on Promotion of Volunteer Service launched the Outstanding Youth Volunteers Scheme in 2001.

This year, 10 eminent volunteers out of 230 nominations were selected by an independent adjudication panel. They will join a volunteer exchange tour to northeast Chinese mainland city of Dalian in August.

In the past four years, 78 young people have been hailed as outstanding volunteers, forming the Outstanding Youth Volunteers Association to encourage more youths to join.

They will soon launch a boys home service scheme and a Guangdong-Hong Kong exchange program.

The Social Welfare Department's Central Office for Volunteer Service has been promoting the service in the past eight years.

At district level, there are 13 co-ordinating committees devising strategies, mobilizing resources and boosting community participation. There are also volunteer service sub-offices offering help on the formation of volunteer teams.

To enhance volunteer services systematically, the department has joined with NGOs to launch a city-wide volunteer service campaign in 1998, and to set up the Steering Committee on Promotion of Volunteer Service to develop long-term comprehensive promotional strategies.

Editor: Yan