(16 July 2013 – Hong Kong) New World Department Store China Limited (“NWDS” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock code: 825), one of the largest owners and operators of department store in the PRC, has always been undertaking corporate social responsibilities, caring underprivileged groups and earnestly promoting charitable causes. To better enhance social awareness to under-resourced children and continue the community caring spirit as demonstrated in its recent “NWDS Tutoring Program”, the Company has kicked off  “@Dream Sustainable Development Program”, the largest nationwide sustainable development program it has ever implemented, this July at its 20th Anniversary. Through a comprehensive series of activities, this program will help about 5,000 under-resourced children in the mainland and Hong Kong to realize their dreams and establish a positive attitude towards life while arousing public attention on under-resourced children.

“@Dream Sustainable Development Program” is a brand new one-year charitable program that aims to provide under-resourced children in the mainland and Hong Kong with an unconventional learning platform that offers them knowledge outside textbooks as well as training opportunities. In addition, under the four themes of sports, music, learning and emotion, the moral, intellectual, physical, social and aesthetics development of the children will be nurtured; their visions will be broadened; and the realization of their seemingly untouchable goals will be given a helpful boost. Meanwhile, through this program, the concept of “Caring for Children” is publicized and further support and participation of people from all quarters of society are highly encouraged.

From July this year to next April, all 41 NWDS stores in the mainland as well as in its Hong Kong and Shanghai offices will collaborate with a number of local non-profit organizations, community groups and schools, including China Women’s Development Foundation and Children’s Hope Foundation etc., and some expert consultants and organizations from different disciplines, to unroll and implement a variety of activities conducive to the physical and mental development of children to help nurture positive living attitudes in them. NWDS launched the “@Music-Rainbow Orchestra” and “@Learning-Education Voyage” programs with Fengxian District Education Bureau, Shanghai following the contract signing ceremony took place on 28 June. By consolidating the competitive edges and resources from both parties, about 300 children aged 7 to 12 in the respective district will be recruited to receive professional training on vocal, singing and instrument playing skills. In addition, “@Sports-Hope Walkathon”, another activity of the series, has set up donation boxes in NWDS stores located in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Chengdu and started recruiting children in to join a fundraising walkathon on 3 August to care and help under-resourced children with practical actions. The entire program will last one year and be fully backed by some 1,000 NWDS volunteers. It is expected that as many as nearly 5,000 children will be benefited.

Ms. Rebecca Woo, Corporate Affairs Director and Chairman of Sustainable Steering Committee of NWDS, said, “Establishing sustainable communities and enhancing the quality of life in communities are important commitments of NWDS’s sustainable development mission. Hence NWDS has always been organizing a number of charitable programs. For an instance, NWDS Volunteer Team has recently implemented the nationwide “NWDS Tutoring Program” to provide homework guidance to about 1,000 under-resourced children for 10 weeks. The current “@Dream Sustainable Development Program” is grander in scale and longer in duration. But more importantly, it manages to provide comprehensive assistance to more under-resourced children to realize their dreams and to help with their physical and mental development. As such, the program remarks our sustainable development has engaged with society and reciprocates the support it has received from society in the last two decades.”  

A summary of the “@Dream Sustainable Development Program”:

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