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A total of 124 organisations out of 214 applications received have been approved to hold flag days to raise funds for their charitable projects on 51 Saturdays and 11 Wednesdays which fall on school or public holidays in 2009-10. Flag sales will be conducted from 7am to 12.30pm on the approved flag days.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (March 27) that in order to allow more organisations to conduct flag sales, 31 flag days had been assigned as Regional Flag Days in 2009-10. On each Regional Flag Day, three organisations will sell flags to solicit donations concurrently, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories.
The spokesman said that for easy identification, the flag day organisers were required to put on the money collection bags the name of the organisation and mark "This flag day has been approved by the Social Welfare Department".
The spokesman appealed to flag day organisers to take precautions against fraud. They should inform the Police of any loss of property and seek their help if fraudulent acts, such as tampering with collection bags or unauthorised fund-raising, are found.
The public can visit the SWD homepage (www.swd.gov.hk) if they wish to check information on flag days. They are also welcome to call SWD hotlines 2343 2255 or 2832 4311 during office hours.
The spokesman also said that the Government had promulgated the "Reference Guide on Best Practices for Charitable Fund-raising Activities" to help charities improve the transparency and accountability of their charitable fund-raising activities. The best practices of the Reference Guide cover donors' rights, fund-raising practices and financial accountability. The Reference Guide is accessible from the SWD homepage.
Attached is a list of flag days and organisations for fund-raising for 2009-10.
Ends/Friday, March 27, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:31
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