Community

Local I.T. businessman launches global charity

Published

10 years ago

March 3, 2015

Tom Sinclair

TechAid: An international charity based in Wales.

TECHAID founder Gareth Scott spoke to us at the Herald this week about his international charity, which aims to help the poverty sector in Cambodia through ICT. TechAid is a non-profit organisation, which aims to distribute donated laptops to deprived schools in South East Asia. The current focus is on Cambodia, but TechAid hope to expand once a stronghold is established in Cambodia. The idea is to gather donated laptops from the UK and the USA and put them in public sector schools in South East Asia in order to fight against the poverty there. Cambodian children only get four hours of education a day in the public sector of study and they lack educational sources.

TechAid aims to bring laptops over in order to bring more information and knowledge to the schools of Cambodia. When Gareth went to Cambodia on holiday, without any idea that he would soon be setting up a charity, he was sat in a street one day, eating street food, when he noticed a child watching him from the other side of the road. There was a lot of poverty on the streets where he holidayed; there were orphans begging and children on the street. Gareth was worried by the fact that the poverty had not affected him straight away. So, he took it upon himself to look into the poverty problem in Cambodia, beginning with the schools.

It was clear that there was a lack of educational resources and his immediate thought, as an IT businessman, was to get laptops out there and set up an internet connection. This would give the schools in Cambodia unlimited education. Gareth talked about the fact that we take the internet for granted in the UK; we underestimate the power of the internet and do not use it to its full potential. The children in Cambodia want to learn and will be able to do so with the laptops that TechAid provide them.

TechAid want to use technology as a window and a resource for Cambodia. Many of the people in Cambodia have never even seen a laptop and by giving the schools the technology, they will be educated in so many things. Education is the tool to improve the poverty in South East Asia, according to Gareth. Education will teach children that helmets would stop the many people from dying through bike accidents, that prostitution is damaging, and that STDs can be prevented. This is just a small factor of what education can achieve.

A year ago, TechAid applied to be a registered charity, and were approved. They went over to Cambodia in November 2014 and have only just come back to the UK. Their time in Cambodia was a massive success; they were on the national news and were given full support from the Battambang Provence Governor. They got full permission to help the public primary schools, which teach 6 to 9 year olds in Battambang. Gareth is slowly shutting down his business in Thornton in order to completely focus on TechAid as a career path.

They aim to get funding from private donations, large corporations and voluntary work. Gareth commented that everyone has an old laptop in the cupboard that they could donate. Many companies have to pay to have laptops destroyed, whereas the only thing that needs to be destroyed when sending laptops to Cambodia through TechAid is the hard drive. The laptop will not be sent to Cambodia with the hard drive in as a guarantee that the data will not leave the country.

If you would like to help TechAid by donating a laptop, you could take the hard drive out yourself or they could do it for you. TechAid have connections all over the world despite being based in Wales, with graphic designers in Germany, project managers in London, photographers from the USA and translators from Norway, Germany, France and Cambodia. TechAid are going back to Cambodia in October 2015 and aim to have one hundred laptop donations by then. If you would like to help the charity, you can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.co.uk/techaidcharity or call on 01646 699 351 for more information. There website will be up and running in the next few weeks too.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

Charity

Kurtz goes Jurassic as Pantosaurus visits Senedd NSPCC Campaign

Published

22 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Richard Lewis

THIS WEEK, the NSPCC’s annual campaign to safeguard children from sexual abuse reached the steps of the Senedd.

Pantosaurus, the friendly mascot of the NSPCC’s PANTS campaign, appeared to raise awareness among Members of the Senedd and the wider public about the vital importance of child safety. The campaign encourages parents and carers to talk openly with young children about risks and protective measures.

The PANTS campaign is built around five key child protection messages:

Privates are private.
Always remember your body belongs to you.
No means no.
Talk about secrets that upset you.
Speak up; someone can help.

After meeting Pantosaurus, Samuel Kurtz MS, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, expressed his support for the campaign

He said: “I wholeheartedly support this important NSPCC initiative. Since its launch in 2013, it has empowered over six million families to discuss this sensitive subject.

“This issue affects communities across Wales, so promoting the five principles of PANTS is essential for everyone in Pembrokeshire and beyond.”

Community

Crowdfunding drive launched for documentary on forgotten 1967 football match

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A CROWDFUNDING campaign has launched to support a new documentary capturing a nearly forgotten piece of football history—a 1967 charity match in Liverpool featuring Hungarian football icon Ferenc Puskás, alongside British legends Billy Liddell and John Charles.

Daniel Metcalf, director of the film and grandson of Chester FC striker Mike Metcalf, who played in the match, describes the film as “a love letter to the beautiful game,” aiming to highlight community spirit and the unity of sport. “Through personal stories, historic footage, and expert insights, we’ll revisit this unique game and explore 1960s football’s influence over the decades,” he said.

The project has attracted substantial backing, including collaboration with Chester FC, endorsements from notable players like Neville Southall, and the involvement of a skilled production team with narration by broadcaster Kim Thomas.

Supporters can choose from various funding tiers, with contributions starting at £10 for acknowledgments and extending to £5,000 Producer credits. Rewards range from film credits to signed memorabilia and invitations to the UK premiere. The funding target of £3,300 aims to cover initial production costs, with stretch goals set to enhance production quality.

Filming will commence in Chester in May 2025, with the documentary slated for release in early 2026 for the festival circuit.

For more information or to support the project, visit Kickstarter.