“@Dream Sustainable Development Program” Earns the Honor of Outstanding Community Program
New World Department Store China Limited (“NWDS” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock code: 825), one of the largest owners and operators of department stores in Mainland China, is pleased to announce that its “@Dream Sustainable Development Program” (“@Dream Program”) was elected as one of the Annual Outstanding Community Programs by the Youth Welfare Alliance (“Alliance”) yesterday. The Company also became a member of the Alliance to further foster mutual cooperation. On the other hand, the Company’s Hong Kong Volunteer Team received the Certificate of Appreciation with its total service hours of over 346.5 from the Agency for Volunteer Service. These awards exemplify that the Company’s community efforts has been widely recognized by the different sectors in society.
Founded by Shanghai Youth Volunteers Association and Youth Daily in 15 December 2012, The Youth Welfare Alliance is a non-profit community platform which aims to consolidate resources of government, community, enterprises, community organizations, the media and volunteers in order to realize community resource sharing and provide greater support to community programs. Entering its 2nd anniversary, the Alliance specially organized an award presentation session in the Youth Welfare Alliance Assembly this year, to honor outstanding community programs and organizations to encourage wider participation in community services. The entries would be assessed based on their innovation, effectiveness, influence and the amount of awards won.
As a socially responsible enterprise, NWDS always pays high attention to social sustainability and launched “@Dream Program”, the Company’s largest sustainable development community project in its history, in July 2013. Featuring four main themes in music, learning, sports and soul, the Program creates a diverse learning platform for under-resourced children in Mainland China and has benefited over 6,000 children up to now. Among them, the “@Soul – Santa Claus is Coming” activity and the “@Sports – Soccer Dreams” activity were co-organized with Youth Daily for migrant children. The highlights of the “@Dream Program” rest on its clear and unique theme, wide beneficiary groups, and comprehensive and diverse activities. All these contribute to the Program’s winning as one of the Annual Outstanding Community Programs among numerous entries.
Furthermore, NWDS always encourages its staff to actively participate in volunteer activities to give back to society. In FY2014, the number of NWDS Volunteer Team member grew to over 2,300 and collectively contributed around 8,000 service hours. To honor outstanding individual and group volunteers as well as to promote the volunteering spirit, the Agency for Volunteer Services holds a recognition gala on the International Volunteer Day, 5 December every year. NWDS Hong Kong Volunteer Team received the Certificate of Appreciation for its exceptional contribution of 346.5 service hours in 2013.
Ms. Rebecca Woo, Corporate Affairs Director and Chairman of Sustainable Steering Committee of NWDS, said, “We are pleased that our community efforts has been widely acknowledged. But the most importance of all lies on being able to benefit thousands of under-resourced children and the needy, and to encourage more enterprises, organizations, staff and their families and friends to join the community force. Looking forward, we hope that by joining the Alliance, the scope of our cooperation with Youth Daily would be widened to help more children. Also, it sets a good example of public-private partnership which can inspire more enterprises to join the caring alliance in such format.”