Community

The concept of community is quite loose. It can be as broad as meaning the society and as narrow as meaning the neighbour. Among the difference uses of the concept of community, it has three common elements:

1. a sense of belonging or identify, i.e. I am a student of the HKU (HKU as a community)
2. social interaction, i.e. people interact with each other, sometimes, there are some mutual help
3. shared characteristics, e.g. living in the same area, studying in the same university, having the same chronic illness, etc.

Geographical community: e.g. a district, a housing estate, a town or village, etc.

Functional community: defined any other shared characteristics other than living in the same area.

Community Work (CW)

It is usually referred to be one of the 3 major methods of social work practice (casework, group work and community work). This term is not well defined. It may mean simply the work “with the community”, or the methods we used in working with the community. This term is descriptive, i.e. either the work we do, or the methods that we use in our work.

Community Development (CD)

Literally, it means “developing the community”. The primary objectives are: developing “mutual help” (i.e. people in the community providing help to each other); “self help” (i.e. people in the community can solve their own problems in the community without relying on outside help); and “participation” (i.e. in community activities, solving community problem, and political participation). In Hong Kong, CD is often used inter-changeably with Community Work, i.e. social work practice provided to a community.

Community Building (CB)

The ex-governor Lord McLehose began to use this term Community Building in 1976, meaning “ the building of a society where there is mutual care and responsibility”. The then City and New Territories Administration (CNTA) [now the Home Affairs Department] is responsible for the policy and implementation of “community building”. This term is basically the same as community development. Because of this move in the 70’s, the policy of the current community development services is under the Home Affairs Bureau instead of under the Health and Welfare Bureau, while the Social Welfare Department is responsible for the implementation of such policy. Under the policy of CB, there sprang the development of district administration through the development of Mutual Aid Committees (互助委員會) in a building or estate, the Area Committee (appointed members in a sub-district), and the District Boards (i.e. now the District Councils). By now, the term and the policy of “community building” is almost forgotten and obsolete.

Community Care

It simply means providing care to the vulnerable in the community instead of in an institution. “Care in the community” means providing care in the community, while “Care by the community” means that the people in the community participate in the provision of care to the vulnerable in the community. When it comes to organizing people in the community to provide care to those living in it (i.e. care by the community), it could be considered as a “community work” or “community development”, namely, promoting mutual help and participation in the delivery of services. As contrast to other concepts (i.e. CW, CD, or CB), “community care” focuses on “target vulnerable groups” such as the disabled, the aged, etc.

Community Centres (CC)

There are 13 CCs operated by NGOs, and 13 CCs operated by the Home Affairs Department (HAD). In each of the CC of the NGOs, there is community work and group work team (now they are ordinarily merged as one team), and in each of the CC operated by HAD, there is one community work team under the SWD. Starting from 1975, these CCs began to operate a Family Activities and Resource Centre (FARC), providing drop-in services to families. CCs provide a variety of group and community services depending on what they identify as community needs, including youth, single-parents, new arrivals, elderly services, etc.

CCs can also be seen as a physical complex of an activity hall, and rooms for activities. Estate Community Centres (ECC) and Community Halls (CH) are all smaller “CCs” operated by the Home Affairs Department.

All CCs began under the policy steer of the Health and Welfare Branch (now the Health and Welfare Bureau) and managed by the Home Affairs Department. In the mid-80s, it is transferred to the Home Affairs Branch (now the Home Affairs Bureau). In a cost-saving exercise in 1989-90, the City and New Territories Administration (i.e. the now Home Affairs Department) took away many resources from these CCs, ECCs, and CHs, resulting in a gradual deterioration of the premises.

Neighbourhood Level community Development Projects (NLCDP)

From 1978 onwards, through SWD, subvention is provided to NGOs to provide NLCDP to serve the deprived communities, e.g. Temporary Housing Areas (THA), squatters, boat people, rural areas, old public estates, etc.) This programme is gradually phasing out.

Integrated Neighbourhood Projects (INP)

From 1998 onwards, INPs are funded to serve 3 major target groups, low income families, elderly people, and new arrivals from China. The purpose is to help develop self and mutual help and linking them to the other mainstream social services. These services will be evaluated in the next few months to determine their future.

Urban Renewal projects

The Land Development Corporation was formed in the 90’s to speed up the process of urban renewal. It provided financial resources to NGOs to help solve some of the individual and community issues related to redevelopment, particularly helping the poor and elderly persons. The LDC was dissolved in 2001, and the Urban Renewal Authority was set up. The URA also planned to provide resources for community development projects.

Other community Development services

Community development services if broadly defined would include projects serving specific target groups aiming at promoting mutual help, self help and community participation. Such services would include mental health projects, lbour services, women services, and new arrival projects. Services such as the Community Rehabilitation Network can also be classified as community development services.