As we take a break from domestic football this weekend I thought I’d write a small piece on something that should put a smile on the face of every Celtic fan, at a time when some might need a bit of cheering up. It is also an opportunity for me to plug another venture I am involved in.
Unless you have been living on Mars I would expect you will all by now have seen at least one of the YouTube video’s featuring Paul Lennon’s Thai students of the Good Child Foundation. The production and distribution of these video’s online are not just for the novelty value of kids in a far of land singing Celtic & Irish songs for our viewing pleasure. While of course it’s fascinating and a unique experience for the watcher the video’s are of course to promote a charity while raising awareness and much needed funds for disabled and disadvantage children in rural Thailand.
To give you a better understanding of what the charity does the following information is taken from an interview that the LostBhoys – Joe McKenna had with Celtic fan and founder of the GCF Paul Lennon. The interview in full is in the publication ‘Playing For The LostBhoys’.
When Paul Lennon and his Thai wife Pun relocated from Northampton England to Thailand in the Chanthaburi province in 2002 to start a family, little did they realise they would be embarking on a life changing journey of such proportions. In February 2003 when they discovered their first child suffered from Down Syndrome, they like any parents were frightened and worried about the future. One of the challenging hurdles they would face was when their son Berni became of school age. All the local government funded schools refused to take him due to his condition as did the local Catholic school ran by the nuns.
Parent’s with a Down’s child in rural areas like Chanthaburi have two choices, either keep the child at home, then the child is not educated and won’t ever mix with other children, which puts enormous strain on the family. There is no welfare state in Thailand, if families don’t work they don’t eat and someone has to care for the child. The other option is that they can send their child off to the Rachanugoon Residential School, which is basically a mental home 100km away in Rayong City. A very difficult journey for poor families in the area.
The Triamsuksa Nayai-am School which opened in the area in 2004 was taken over by the Good Child Foundation in 2008. In the foundation Paul & Pun found a school that was willing to take their son in exchange for Paul teaching English to the pupils for free. When the school came to Paul looking for help with raising funds, Paul cut his own deal.
Paul agreed to help raise funds for the school (which gets only government backing for teaching salaries and electricity) in exchange for a free hand to find any Down Syndrome children that he could find and to bring them to the school. Also the school would have to advertise everywhere that it would take Down Syndrome children. Paul also requested that he be able to teach the children any songs he wanted to as part of his English lessons. This is where Paul’s Irish parent’s influence came into effect as being steeped in Irish history and music he started to use popular Irish ballads to improve the English of the children in the school. Having also grown up as a massive supporter of Celtic Football Club he also used well known Celtic related songs as well. This is when the word on the internet began to spread. Celtic supporters across the globe found and shared the videos Paul had uploaded to the web and a frenzied interest in the school took hold.
It has become Paul’s mission to find as many Down Syndrome children as he can in the area and at the time of writing they have now saved, yes saved, 6 children from being sent to the mental home. Funds that have been raised by Celtic fans so far has made this possible, Celtic fans have saved these children and given them a chance of a future. Money has been used to facilitate The Tommy Burns Classroom which you will see in some of the YouTube videos, with walls adorned by the names of all those who have supported this worthwhile cause so far. Fund raising is an on-going necessity though for the school.
If you would like to donate to the Good Child Foundation you can do so directly on their website www.goodchildfoundation.com
At the tail end of last season we had Paul & his year-long Irish volunteer Chris Joyce on the LostBhoys podcast. They told us their story and everyone involved with the LostBhoys felt humbled by the work they were doing over in Thailand and started to devise ways we could help. This after all is what Celtic is all about. T-Shirts were produced and sold via our website and eBay, charity poker nights were held in Houston Texas where much valued funds were raised. It was at this time I thought about donating all the profits from the LostBhoys book I was putting together. When I first came up with the idea of putting a book together it was really just to have as a keepsake for all the guy’s involved in the website and podcast. A small reward for all their hard work and a memento they could stick on their bookshelves. After a quick discussion and some interest from other fans in the book we decided to make it available for purchase and donate all the profits to the Good Child Foundation.
The book ‘Playing For The LostBhoys’ chronicles the 2009/2010 topsy-turvy season of Celtic Football Club through the eyes of the LostBhoys, a group of fans who came together by setting up a website and producing a weekly podcast discussing their beloved hoops.
Although, ultimately a disappointing season on and off the pitch for the Club, the book contains good humoured articles and blogs of Chris, Jamie, Casey, Eddie, Harper, Gary, Joe & Conall. They discuss all the games and everything else in the world of Celtic on a day to day, week by week basis. As results went against the team, passions flowed and arguments raged over the manager’s position, team selections, player performances and the direction in which the club was going. Hope soon turned to despair and optimism transpired to realism as the team limped to a trophy-less season.
The LostBhoys team hail (hail) from all corners of the globe, Playing For the LostBhoys is our story and your story as we laughed, cried, ranted and raved but never gave up on Celtic FC, the club we ALL love so much.
To support the GCF and get your copy of the book go to www.LostBhoys.com and follow the links or go direct to http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/playing-for-the-lostbhoys/11033512
The book is available in Paperback, Hardback and Digital Download versions. To see the GCF videos there are links via www.goodchildfoundation.com and to hear more of Paul Lennon’s story go get LostBhoys podcast number 44 on the LostBhoys website or iTunes.
It’s enough to make your heart go…
Harper
On behalf of all the LostBhoys I’d just like to thank Lord of the Wing for letting us hi-jack The Celtic Blog today.
Hail Hail
Great stuff. Really what Celtic is all about. Not only have legions of Celtic supporters on the Huddleboard and other sites donated their hard earned money, I believe used Celtic and GAA kits have been sent to the Good Child Foundation for the weans.
Touching article. Huge respect for all the folks involved. This isn’t only what Celtic’s about- it’s what good human nature is about. It’s what LIFE should be about! Good people who can give their time and effort to others who are not just less fortunate, but who really need the help and support. Bless these people and on behalf of every other good soul, thank you for making the world a better place. Good luck and be proud.
Harper, the gimps finished can I be let out this cellar?
When I first saw the you tube clip I thought it was a joke it wasn’t until I heard the podcast interview that I got the magnitude of it all.
Hats of to the Lostbhoys and all the sites who are helping.
I would like to read the book.
Today is the anniversary of John Thomson dying in 1931.
Upon learning the background to “Good Child Foundation” …then watching the kids singing ‘Over and over’ on YouTube…. made me even more proud to be member of the Celtic Family…. All involved have my admiration and respect.
Keep up the good work.
this is why we are celtic fans, to give something back to the world and our music brings everyone together, speaking with Paul and watching the videos makes me even more prouder to be a Celtic fan and part of the ever-expanding Celtic Family Worldwide