********************
A total of 121 organisations out of 220 applications received have been approved to hold flag days to raise funds for their charitable projects on 49 Saturdays and 12 Wednesdays which fall on school or public holidays in 2010-11. Flag sale will be conducted from 7am to 12.30pm on the approved flag days.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (March 26) that in order to allow more organisations to conduct flag sales, 30 flag days had been assigned as Regional Flag Days in 2010-11. 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 any possible 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 fundraising, are found.
The public can visit the SWD homepage at www.swd.gov.hk if they wish to check information on flag days. They are also welcome to call SWD hotlines at 2343 2255 or 2832 4311 during office hours.
The spokesman also said that the Government has promulgated the "Reference Guide on Best Practices for Charitable Fund-raising Activities" (Reference Guide) to help the charities to improve the transparency and accountability of their charitable fund-raising activities. The best practices in 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 in 2010-11.
Ends/Friday, March 26, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:38
NNNN