HELP SAVE OUR SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

WHERE WILL THE CHILDREN PLAY?

The Good Shepherd Phuket Town (GSPT) is appealing for donations to fund the purchase of the land adjacent to their school that is currently being used as their school playground.

When the GSPT charity built their school in 2013, they were able to purchase the land where the main school building sits but not the adjacent land. As the number of students at the school increased from 150 – 320, the adjacent used land started to be used as a play area. The owners of the land have graciously allowed the Good Shepherd to use the land, rent free for the last 9 years. Recently the school was informed that the owners now have plans to develop the land. They have kindly offered the school the option to purchase the land and the school is desperate to secure the land, before the offer expires.

The GSPT School in Phuket Town solely runs on donations. It provides 320 underprivileged children with the opportunity to have an education and break the vicious cycle of poverty that effects so many of the poor on the island. For many students, their school lunch is their main meal of the day.

Every break time, the playground is filled with the sound of shrieks of laughter and joy from the students. Many of the children at the school live in abject poverty in the slum areas of the Rassada Port, with no safe open space to run around or play. The school playground therefore provides a vital part of their wellbeing. Article 31 of the UN Convention of the Rights of Children states that “every child has the right to engage in play and recreational activities”. 

Some of the most joyous occasions at the school are when the children rehearse and showcase their singing and dancing on the small, simple stage. Last Christmas, all the volunteers that support the school through, were treated to a full day of entertainment from every one of the classes. The students had practised for weeks in preparation, so they could show their appreciation of all the efforts of the amazing volunteers.

GSPT was founded in 2010 and now run a variety of Volunteer Programs for people to give back to the community. People with a skill or teaching experience can support a school class for 1-2 hours a week. There are afternoon slots available to oversee their Charity Shops “Pre-Loved” at Blue Tree or “Pre-Loved Too” at the Rawai Art Village. Quality second-hand items can be dropped off to both locations and everything is either re-used, re-cycled or up-purposed.

Fundraising is the key goal to keep the school running. Last year, volunteers organised a Charity Gala Ball at the Courtyard by Marriott, Phuket Town in the presence of the British Ambassador. They also held two Christmas Pantomime Shows and a Christmas Market.

Kind donors such as Peppers Sports Bar also hold weekly Quiz Nights to also support their endeavours. Volunteers who recently took part in the Christmas Pantomime remarked that taking part in the shows “have been some of most rewarding experiences of living in Phuket”

With regard to the playground land, the GSPT only have a few more weeks to secure the land which is roughly 123 square Wah in the heart of Phuket Town. The cost of the land and transfer is approximately B7.4 Million THB, which includes the playground, lunch area and stage.