PRESS RELEASE

11 May 2011
For immediate release

HSBC Donates $250,000 To Canterbury Business Recovery Fund

HSBC has today made a $250,000 donation to the Canterbury Business
Recovery Fund to help support a number of businesses that have been
affected by the February earthquake.

David Griffiths, CEO, HSBC New Zealand, says: “We are proud to stand beside the New Zealand Government and other New Zealand corporate organisations to help support the people of Christchurch. Our donation will help to ensure the long term sustainability of businesses in Christchurch and in the wider Canterbury region, and mean that affected businesses can return to being profitable again.”

Colin Ross, Manager, HSBC Christchurch says: “After spending the past couple of months talking to clients, colleagues, friends and family about the impacts the earthquake has had on the region, I know first hand that donations to the fund will go some way to restoring the confidence of affected business owners and help them to get their businesses back on their feet.”

Louise Edwards, Executive Director of the Canterbury Business Recovery Fund, says: “The Trustees of the fund are enormously grateful for the donation from HSBC. The Trust Fund has been established to get to the grass roots of business assistance by providing much needed cash injections to good, but earthquake affected businesses. This donation is a significant sum of money and will materially assist many Canterbury businesses to return to profitable operations quickly.”

The Canterbury Business Recovery Trust Fund is a Recover Canterbury initiative developed by the Canterbury Development Corporation (CDC) and the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (CECC). To date there have been 776 expressions of interest for grants from the Canterbury Business Recovery Fund which has received donations in excess of $3.8 million.

Today’s contribution brings HSBC’s total donation to victims of the earthquake to $425,814.28 – a total of $1,717 per HSBC New Zealand staff member.

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