Join us for flag days 2025-26: apply now!
Charitable organisations wishing to hold flag days between April 2025 and March 2026 are invited to apply to the Social Welfare Department (SWD) from today (April 17) to May 16.
To enable more organisations to solicit donations through flag sales, 28 flag days in 2025-26 will be assigned as regional flag days so that three organisations can sell flags concurrently on those days, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. There will also be 28 territory-wide flag days to be held in the year.
An SWD spokesman said today that applicant organisations must be bona fide non-profit-making organisations exempt from tax under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) and, after the recognition of tax exemption, have organised charitable activities in each of the past three years. Applicant organisations should refer to the eligibility criteria as detailed in the Explanatory Notes for Application for Flag Days in 2025-26.
"Flag day applications will be considered by the Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee according to factors including the organisation's integrity and management capability; the nature, value and standard of its existing services; its financial need; and its ability to organise a flag day," the spokesman said.
The application form and the Explanatory Notes for Application for Flag Days in 2025-26 can be downloaded from the SWD website at www.swd.gov.hk or obtained from the Lotteries Fund Projects Section of the SWD at Rooms 3601-02, 36/F, Dah Sing Financial Centre, 248 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, from today to 6pm on May 16. Applications for flag days in 2025-26 can also be submitted online. Please refer to the SWD website for application details.
The completed application form together with the required documents should reach the department at the above address by 6pm on May 16. Late applications will not be considered.
"Applicant organisations will be informed of the result around October this year," the spokesman added.
Enquiries can be made by telephone to 2832 4318 or 2832 4301, by fax to 2838 0441, or by email to eolf5@swd.gov.hk.
Source: AI-generated images
Unlock your musical potential: apply now for summer music workshops at music office!
âThe Summer Music Workshops organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will be held in July and August. The workshops, designed for children and youth aged 4 to 15 without any musical training, aim to encourage them to make good use of their summer vacation, acquire music knowledge and cultivate their interests in music. The first phase of application is now open and will close on May 27.
âDesigned for children aged 4 to 6, the "Parent-child Jolly Music Time" workshop will enable students to learn basic music knowledge including note values, music notation and rhythms, and develop their listening skills and sense of rhythm through interactive music lessons. The "Musical Instrument Kaleidoscope" workshop for children aged 6 to 9 will allow participants to learn about the appearance, tone colours and characteristics of various Chinese and Western instruments through demonstrations by the Music Office instructors and get them prepared for future music classes. Participants of both workshops must be accompanied by adults. The tuition fees of the two workshops are $360 and $210 respectively.
âIn addition, dedicated to children aged 5 to 12, the "Kingdom of Music Terminology" workshop features the use of masterpieces from famous composers as examples to enrich participants' knowledge of common musical terms and enhance their music appreciation ability. Participants aged 5 to 8 must be accompanied by adults. The tuition fee of the workshop is $290.
âAnother workshop, "iJam Music-making", is open for youngsters aged 10 to 15 at a tuition fee of $430. Participants should bring their own iPad and pre-install the music app GarageBand to experience the fun of music-making through tablet music software.
âAll of the above-mentioned workshops will be conducted in Cantonese. A ballot will be held if the classes are oversubscribed. For classes not fully taken up after the first phase of application, in-person applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from July 3. Participants achieving an attendance rate of 80 per cent will be awarded a certificate of attendance.
âInterested persons can visit the Music Office website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/activities/schoolprogrammes/summer_music_workshop.html) for online applications. For enquiries, please call 2158 6466 or 3842 7776.
