Three charities have been issued with Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (December 15). They are, on Hong Kong Island, World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong; in Kowloon, the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong; and in the New Territories, Tuen Mun District Women's Association Limited, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish between the three flag-selling activities.

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on December 15 is as follows:
 

     For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the Charitable Fund-raising Control Team at 2832 4311 during office hours. Information on the flag days of the month is available at the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew/). Permits for flag days containing contact information of the flag-selling organisations and information on the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_recentlyap/). For enquiries about the detailed flag-selling arrangements, please contact the individual flag-selling organisations.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     The Director of Social Welfare (DSW), Ms Carol Yip, today (December 14) joined the Social Welfare Department (SWD) Choir and its family members to participate in the Carol Singing Festival 2018 held by the Child Development Matching Fund (CDMF) to raise funds for disadvantaged children.

     Speaking at the event, Ms Yip said that the festival was being held for the ninth consecutive year. Over the past years, the festival has raised over $30 million for the Savings Matching Fund for teenagers participating in the Child Development Fund (CDF) programme, securing savings matching funds for over 5 000 teenagers.

     She noted that the Government has all along been dedicated to alleviating inter-generational poverty, pointing out that $900 million has been injected into the fund with 193 three-year projects carried out since the establishment of the CDF in 2008. Each project comprises three key components, namely Targeted Savings, Personal Development Plans and Mentorship, benefiting over 17 000 underprivileged children and teenagers.

     Ms Yip appealed to people from different sectors to show continuous concern for the children and youngsters from underprivileged families while celebrating Christmas.

     The CDMF, a community-based organisation promoting child development initiatives, is one of the strategic partners of the CDF. The CDMF consolidates resources in the community and by raising savings matching funds helps CDF participants to achieve their savings targets, and hence take the first step towards leaving poverty. A volunteer will also be arranged for each participant as their mentor.

     The SWD Choir, which took part in today's event, was founded in 1998 and comprises SWD staff members from different ranks and grades in various districts. The choir enjoys participating in various charity performances and volunteer work and has taken part in the festival for seven consecutive years. The choir is also committed to serving the underprivileged and promoting the greater social inclusion of persons with and without disabilities, as well as encouraging colleagues to join volunteering to help build a more harmonious and caring society.

      

     The Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, visited Kwai Tsing District this afternoon (December 14) to know more about its law and order situation and the livelihood conditions of the local community. He also called at an integrated youth service centre in the district.
 
      Accompanied by the District Officer (Kwai Tsing), Mr Kenneth Cheng, Mr Lee first met with members of the Kwai Tsing District Council to exchange views on issues relating to the local law and order situation and people's livelihood.

     Afterwards, Mr Lee visited the Jockey Club Tsing Yi Integrated Service Centre for Children and Youth of the Hong Kong Playground Association. The Centre provides professional counselling and support services for children and young people in the district in order to help them realise their potential, establish a positive attitude and develop harmonious interpersonal relationships.
   
      Mr Lee toured the facilities of the Centre and was briefed on the services it provides. He then watched talent performances by the participants of the Moonlight Project and listened to them speak on their future aspirations during a sharing session.
  
      Jointly organised by the Kwai Tsing District Fight Crime Committee and the Local Committee on Services for Young People of Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing Districts of the Social Welfare Department, the Moonlight Project sends midnight outreach teams to approach young night drifters and arranges for them various types of recreational activities and talent classes, leading them to build a healthy lifestyle.
 

        

     The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is currently holding the "sound in the city" series, leading visitors to experience the characteristics and vibes of the city through combinations of sound with various media.

     The "sound in the city" series consists of three programmes, namely "Shuffle Reality", "IFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIF" and "Freedom from Within". Through integrating sound with various creative disciplines, including virtual reality and augmented reality, the programmes remind visitors of their relationship with the environment, as well as inspire their imaginations on their life stories.

     Artist Keith Lam was invited to create the artwork in "Shuffle Reality". He has transformed a familiar urban landscape into alternate virtual and real images, allowing visitors to appreciate media forms that had always been there but had yet to be seen.

     In "IFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIF", creative professional Chow Yiu-fai and artist Justin Wong use the navigation of a mobile application to lead visitors to walk through a designated route to find 13 hidden stories and experience the connection between sight and sound.

     Through the display of overlapping images of the city in "Freedom from Within", artist Tam Wai-ping has reinterpreted his memory of the city, presenting pursued freedom from within.

     The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is located at 7A Kennedy Road, Central. Admission is free and the programmes will run until January 27 next year. The programmes are presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and organised by the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. For details of the programmes, please visit the centre’s Facebook page or www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/APO/en_US/web/apo/va_sound_in_the_city.html or call 2521 3008.

     The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, visited North District this afternoon (December 14) to have an update on the latest developments of the district.
 
     Accompanied by the District Officer (North), Mr Chong Wing-wun, Mr Chan first met with the Chairman of the North District Council, Mr So Sai-chi, and District Councillors to exchange views on transport and housing issues in the district.
 
     Mr Chan then inspected Kai Leng Roundabout in Sheung Shui where he was briefed by Transport Department officers on the design of the roundabout and the traffic conditions in the area.
 
     Before concluding the district visit, Mr Chan visited a family household living in Cheung Lung Wai Estate, Sheung Shui.