Call for young volunteers to lead - Programme aims to promote spirit of Paralmpic

Youngpost (HK, 2 April, 2008)

The British Council will choose 20 people aged 18 to 25 to undergo leadership training

The British Council is looking for young people in Hong Kong to join its Young Advocates Programme, which aims to promote the spirit of the Paralympic Games.

The council will choose 20 people aged 18 to 25 undergo leadership training, joining 220 others from around the world.

The programme is supported by the international and national Paralympic committees. They are providing training expertise and opportunities for the youngsters to participate in a wide range of activities.

The workshops – to be held in Hong Kong – will help develop leadership and organisational skills, Paralmpic knowledge, disability awareness, and spoken English.

At the end of the programme, the youngsters will have the chance to lead or participate in sports events both locally and overseas. Examples include Hong Kong's first Paralympic School Day in July and the Beijing Youth Forum at the Paralympic Games in September.

The council hopes that its Young Advocates will develop into a global team of leaders. Through organising different outreach programmes, the organisation hopes that their skills will be passed on to successive generations.

Paralympic sports are well-developed in Hong Kong. Local athletes, like sprinter So Wawai, fencer Yu Chui-yee and equestrian star Yip Siu-hong, have achieved good results in international competitions.

"The British Council's Young Advocates Programme will support the Paralympic movement and the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing," said Katherine Forestier, the organisation's director of education services.

"It aims to advocate the potential of sports to Hong Kong's diverse community and to promote social inclusion around the world. We hope that, once trained, the Young Advocates will mobilise other young people in their communities – disabled and able-bodied – to develop cross-cultural understanding through sport."

Interested parties should submit their application to the British Council before April 18. For more details and to download application forms, visit http://www.britishcouncil.org.hk/sports.