65 groups to raise funds in December
************************************

    Sixty-five organisations had been granted permission to raise funds during December, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) spokesman said today (November 29).

     The organisations will sell flags, tokens or similar items, or place donation boxes in designated public places.

     Special arrangements apply on December 3 , December 17 and December 28, when three organisations will conduct sales of flags on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories respectively.

     The department has also allocated December 28 which is a school holiday as a non-Saturday flag day.

     With the endorsement of the Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee, flag sale can be conducted from 7am to 12.30pm on allocated flag days starting from September, 2005.
       
     Any organisation planning to hold activities involving collection of money or sale or exchange for donations of badges, tokens or similar articles in a public place for charitable purposes should apply for a public subscription permit from the SWD.

     Activities covered by public subscription permits are listed on the department's website http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew/ and on the ESD Life website http://www.esdlife.com.

     People are welcome to call the department's hotline at 2343 2255 or department headquarters at 2832 4311 for enquiries.

     The spokesman urged people to visit these websites or to call the hotline if there was any doubt regarding the fund-raising activities and he appealed to organisers to take precautions against any possible fraud.

     "Fund-raising volunteers should display the permit, or in the case of mobile fund-raising, carry copies of the permit for inspection upon request," he said.

     The spokesman also advised organisations to prepare guidelines for volunteers, setting out the places and the schedule for fund-raising and the collection points for bags.

     "Organisers should inform the Police in the case of loss of property, and seek their help when fraudulent acts, such as tampering with collection bags or unauthorised selling, are found," he said.

     Permits were given to the following organisations for fund raising in December:

Flag Day
---------

Event Date              Organisations
----------              -------------
December 3   #(HKI)     Retina Hong Kong

December 3   #(KLN)     Tsz Kwong Community
                        Service Link

December 3   #(NT)      Evangelical Lutheran Church
                        Social Service-HK

December 10             The Society of Rehabilitation
                        and Crime Prevention,
                        Hong Kong
 
December 17  #(HKI)     Wai Ji Christian Service

December 17  #(KLN)     Hong Kong Association
                        for Cleft Lip and Palate                              

December 17  #(NT)      New Territories Women
                        and Juveniles Welfare
                        Association Ltd

December 24             Association of Baptists for
                        World Evangelism(HK) Ltd

December 28 *#(HKI)     Bonaventure Integrated
                        Children and Youth Centre

December 28 *#(KLN)     Institute of Social
                        Service Development

December 28 *#(NT)      The Conservancy Association

December 31             International Social Service
                        (Hong Kong)


#Regional flag day

*Non-Saturday flag day


Public Subscription
-------------------

Event Date        Organisation
-----------       -------------

December 1-3,     Lok Hong Social Service Association
5-11 & 22-27

December 1-4      Action for Vision Eye Foundation
                  Limited

December 1-4      Tung Wah Group of Hospitals

December 1-4 &    Yan Chai Hospital
9-31

December 1,4,11,  Vajradhara Buddhist Meditation
15&18             Centre Limited

December 1-6      Caring for Children Foundation
                  Limited

December 1-18 &   Hong Kong Society for the Aged
20-31

December 1-30     Rehabaid Society
(Mon-Fri)            

December 1-31     Bradbury Hospice

December 1-31     Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital

December 1-31     Yan Chai Hospital

December 1-31     Wong Chuk Hang Hospital
                  - Hospital  Authority

December 1-31     Haven of Hope Hospital

December 1-31     Castle Peak Hospital

December 1-31     Grantham Hospital,
                  Hospital Authority

December 1-31     The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent
                  Society, Kowloon

December 1-31     The University of Hong Kong

December 1-31     Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole
                  Hospital

December 1-31     United Christian Hospital

December 1-31     Ruttonjee & Tang Shiu Kin
                  Hospitals

December 1-31     Queen Elizabeth Hospital

December 1-31     Airport Authority

December 1-31     Kadoorie Farm and Botanic
                  Garden Corporation

December 1-31     Tuen Mun Hospital

December 1-31     Duchess of Kent Children's
                  Hospital

December 1-31     Make-A-Wish Foundation of
                  Hong Kong Limited

December 1-31     Pok Oi Hospital

December 1-31     Hospital Authority Charitable
                  Foundation

December 1-31     MacLehose Medical Rehabilitation
                  Centre        

December 1-31     Prince of Wales Hospital

December 1-31     Tseung Kwan O Hospital

December 1-31     Cheng Si Yuan (China-International)
                  Hepatitis Research Foundation

December 1-31     North District Hospital

December 1-31     Cheshire Home, Chung Hom Kok

December 1-31     Shatin Hospital-Hospital Authority

December 1-31     Princess Margaret Hospital

December 1-31     SCMP Charities Limited

December 1-31     Arts with the Disabled
                  Association Hong Kong

December 2        The Hong Kong AIDS Foundation
                  Limited

December 2        The Children's Cancer Foundation

December 3-4 &    Produce Green Foundation
10-11

December 3-5,8,   Hong Kong Red Cross
10-12,15,17-18 & 20

December 4        The Hong Kong Arts Centre

December 4        Playright Children's Play
                  Association

December 4        Concern Group of Pets

December 5-7      The Association of Chinese                              
15-17             Evangelical Ministry Limited

December 10       Oxfam Hong Kong

December 10-11&   Mental Health Association of
17-18             Hong Kong


December 11       The Neighbourhood Advice-Action
                  Council

December 16-17    Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Limited

December 16-18 &  The Hong Kong Ballet Limited
20-26

December 18       Senior Citizen Home Safety
                  Association

December 24-31    Buddhist Navigation Vihara Limited

Ends/Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 14:51

NNNN