January, 2010:   Bangkok Post

On 5th January the Bangkok Post printed an article New wave of education after the tsunami by Fraser Morton. The article talks about why the Foundation was initially set up after the Asian tsunami and highlights the work that the Foundation is doing in Kamala and Kalim Schools. The article describes how children in Phuket are being given a chance at a better future because of the Foundation.


December, 2009:   BBC

On 22nd December the BBC visited Kalim School and filmed our English classes. The BBC were interested in the Foundation as they were reporting on good news stories resulting from the 2004 Tsunami. As the Foundation was set up as a direct result of the Tsunami the children we teach would not have access to high quality English language education were it not for that terrible event. Peter Hamilton, Vice Chairman of the Board was interviewed for the Today program aired at 8.44am on Radio 4 on 26th December and for an article on the BBC website.

Residential students with a birthday in August or September had a birthday party on Friday 25th September. For some Coconut Club children it was the first time their birthday had been celebrated. Banyan Tree provided birthday cake and candles to blow out and Rockfish Restaurant and their staff ran party games. The Phuket Post covered the party in their 16th October edition.



September, 2009:   ABBATASTIC! Fundraising Event

On 12th September Les Anges and 91.5FM organised a charity fundraiser for Phuket Has Been Good For Us Foundation. The evening was opened by ABBATASTIC! joined by students from the Foundation's Coconut Club. 150 guests danced the night away to all their old favourites. We had photographers and film crews at the event. TV Phuket English Channel ran a ten minute segment on the event. The Phuket Post made us front page news! With more coverage inside the 2nd October edition.


June, 2009: Coral Seekers Team Building Day

On June 6th Coral Seekers organised 'Survivor Phuket'.  Two teams of students from the Foundation's Coconut Club; the Lions and the Monkeys, engaged in fun games involving leadership, team work and problem solving skills. Dan Ogunshakin was there with them and captured the action for the Phuket Gazette over two pages. Jonathan Fowler was also there to take some excellent photographs of the day!


May, 2009: "The Big Picture' at Hung Fat's

On Thursday 28 May over 100 art lovers gathered at Hung Fat's restaurant in Kalim for 'The Big Picture', an inspirational photography exhibition with works on show by students and friends of the Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation.

The evening was a tremendous success; 20 photographs by Coconut Club students and over 40 by professional photographers and friends of the Foundation were on sale. Some amazing prizes, worth over 100,000 baht, were also for the taking at the evenings auction and raffle.

We had extensive media coverage for the exhibition; Phuket Fm Radio 91.5 advertised the show earlier on in the week and Phuket Observer ran an article before the night. At the event we had two camera crews. PG TV ran a six minute piece. Capitol TV also ran a piece (in order to find our piece go to 5:07 on the broadcast at the bottom of the page). Articles were also published by the Phuket Gazette and the Phuket Post.
 

March, 2009: Phuket Post- The Coconut Club's Photography Workshop

An article in the Phuket Post describes how the Foundation worked with visiting volunteer and photographer Martha Lutz to conduct a week long photography workshop with the children of the Coconut Club.  Aged 12-14, the children were given six cameras donated by Marsha's friends back in the US.  Click here to read the Post article (.pdf).  The best of the photos taken by the children will be printed and offered for sale later this year.  See some of the rest of the photos at the Foundation's Facebook fan page.

February, 2009:  TTO (Traversing the Orient)- Fundraising Dinner held at Hung Fat's Restaurant in Kalim

November, 2008: Phuket Gazette and Phuket Post- Tom McNamara's Legacy

Following the death of our founder Tom McNamara, the Phuket Post discusses how his daughter Fleur Birch-Atkinson and the members of the Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation intend to carry on his legacy.  Click here to read the Post article (.pdf).

In the Phuket Gazette, Bruce Stanley's article in remembrance of Tom McNamara also mentions discusses how Tom was most proud of his efforts in starting our Foundation.  Click here to read the Gazette article (.pdf).

 

 July, 2008: The Teacher- 'Teach to Reach' Project

The Foundation's 'Teach to Reach' teacher training program, which was conducted in 2008, was featured in this the Teacher magazine article. 

Visit The Teacher: News and Information for Teacher Leaders at http://www.teachermagazine.org

January, 2008: Phuket Post- 'Be an Angel' Campaign

A note in the Phuket Post highlights the Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation's launch of its' 'Be an Angel' Christmas fund-raising campaign sponsored by Engel and Voelkers and Tropical Homes Real Estate. The campaign invites guests of six of Phuket island's top hotels, to make a donation, to pay for one of the many 'essential items' that the Foundation needs to deliver its high quality English language education program in two government schools on Phuket. The other participating hotels are Le Meridien, Hilton, Dusit Laguna, Aspasia and Blue Canyon Country Club.
 

December, 2007: Faces of Thailand Exhibition – December 2007

Maltese painter and illustrator, Marisa Attard, opened her exhibition of portrait paintings, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the nation’s capital, Valetta, on 6th December. The exhibition features a number of paintings of children from Kalim School. Part of the proceeds will go to Phuket Has Been Good To Us.

For more on the exhibit, see this article from the Malta Times


August, 2007: Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation teams up with world renowned publishers Simon and Schuster, and Harper Collins.

Following a book drive in America known as 'Books For Phuket' and subsequent donations of books and postage from major publishing houses, the Foundation opened libraries in its two schools of operation: Kamala and Kalim. The ribbon cutting ceremony at the Kamala school was overseen by the Vice Governor of Phuket. Simon and Schuster's Jennifer Nicholson traveled to Phuket to assist in the set up of the libraries and is interviewed in a local Channel 11 broadcast (see below). See the press release for the full story.

Follow the links to the Thais News website or download the 4 minute video (6.7MB) and 5 minute video (3.7MB) broadcast on Andaman News TV11 and Radio Thailand FM90.5 Phuket City, and on Phuket Cable channel 1.

Thais News website, Andaman News TV, Radio Thailand- 21 August, 2007

Thais News website, Andaman News TV, Radio Thailand- 22 August, 2007

Phuket Post article covering the Simon & Schuster donation and library opening.



June, 2007: Phuket Post The Foundation receives a donation from the Marion and Shaw families, following the fundraising efforts of 13-year-old Alex Marion from Maryland in the United States. Visit the donate page for the text of the article.






April, 2007: Phuket Post The children of Kalim School celebrate the end of a successful year of learning with the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation.