PROMOTION OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE
14.1 The Social Welfare Department (SWD) launched the Volunteer Movement in 1998 and has since been actively promoting volunteer service to foster a spirit of participation and dedication for building a caring and harmonious community. The theme “One Family One Heart” has been adopted for the Volunteer Movement from 2009 onward. Besides launching a new series of thematic poster and video with the theme “One Family One Heart”, a series of promotional programmes, including the annual highlight, “Hong Kong Volunteer Award Presentation Ceremony”, officiated by Volunteer-in-chief/wife of the Chief Executive, were also organised in these two years.
   
14.2 To enhance the promotion through internet, the revamped Volunteer Movement Website (www.volunteering-hk.org) with enhanced functions was launched in August 2010. The Director of Social Welfare also set up a Facebook Group (社署署長呼籲支持義工運動) in September 2010 to enhance the publicity of the Volunteer Movement and facilitate exchange among volunteers. In addition, significant achievements were attained in the following areas:
 
Corporate Volunteering
14.3 SWD has offered a wide range of support services, such as publishing bi-annual newsletters on corporate volunteering, seminars on corporate volunteering, corporate volunteer training courses, consultation services and mentor scheme for the newly formed corporate volunteer teams. SWD also organises the “Best Corporate Volunteer Service Project Competition” regularly, so as to encourage corporate sector to actualise corporate social responsibilities through volunteering.

Student and Youth Volunteering
14.4 The “Hong Kong Outstanding Youth Volunteers Scheme” has been held annually since 2000 to award the contribution of Hong Kong’s outstanding youth volunteers. To widen their exposure, 39 outstanding youth volunteers selected in 2009-10 and 2010-11 were arranged to visit Singapore and Sichuan respectively for exchange as volunteer ambassadors. SWD also provided practical support to the Hong Kong Outstanding Youth Volunteers’ Association for strengthening their role in promoting volunteerism among the student and youths. Seminars and award presentation ceremony for student and youths were conducted annually to foster whole-person development through volunteering.
 
Volunteering in Community Organisations
14.5 SWD organised a two-year campaign, “Caring for Our Community” which successfully mobilised residents in public/private housing estates to join volunteering. Around 120 resident volunteer teams (RVTs) were formed and committed to serve the needy at neighborhood and local levels. Some of the RVTs also joined the “Most Caring Service Project” competition held in 2009-10 to initiate tailor-made volunteering service projects in their communities. The annual “Hong Kong Citizen Hong Kong Heart” Volunteer Ambassador Program attracted over 300 volunteer teams to make nearly 40 000 “Do-It-Yourself” items as gifts for the needy or deprived groups every year.