Flag days in 2023-24
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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has approved 109 organisations, out of 210 applications received, to hold flag days to raise funds for their charitable projects on 48 Saturdays and seven Wednesdays which fall on school or public holidays in 2023-24 (see Annex for details). Flag sales will be conducted from 7am to 12.30pm on the approved flag days.
A spokesman for the SWD said today (March 31) that in order to allow more organisations to conduct flag sales, 27 flag days have been assigned as Regional Flag Days in 2023-24. On each Regional Flag Day, three organisations will sell flags to solicit donations concurrently, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories.
For easy identification, the spokesman said that flag day organisers are required to put the name of the organisation and the mark "Approved by Social Welfare Department" on the money collection bags.
The spokesman appealed to flag day organisers to take precautions against any possible fraud. They should make a report to the SWD and 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 noted.
Members of the public can visit the SWD's homepage (www.swd.gov.hk) and the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising) if they wish to check information on flag days. They are also welcome to call the SWD hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
The spokesman also said that the Government has promulgated the "Good Practice Guide on Charitable Fund-raising" to help charities improve the transparency and accountability of their charitable fund-raising activities. The Good Practice Guide covers areas on donors' rights, fund-raising practices and financial accountability. The Good Practice Guide is accessible on the SWD's homepage.
Ends/Friday, March 31, 2023
Issued at HKT 11:00
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