Stephen Magson projects page

Projects in 2008

Tool Kits - This year the SMMT has funded two tool kits for new apprentices at theYork Minster Stone Yard. David Hern in January and Genevieve Abranson in May. We wish all the best to both in their chosen career and are delighted to be able to continue to support the Minster Masons in Steve's memory.

BCIS Prize - 2007 prize winners were Miss Nutchaya Ungcharoen Year 8 (2007) and Master Teerawat Jutamontree Yr 10 (2007)

They chose to donate to the Life Home Project organisation, of which the BCIS school has a close association with. They sponsor students to go to school with educational scholarships. http://www.lifehomeproject.org

We have just sent the prize money to Thailand for the 2008 prize and will update you with the winners & thier chosen project as soon as we know who they are.

Projects in 2006

Supporting Tsunami Orphans - The Sriphong Phukaoluan Foundation (www.krabirelief.com) is a Thai charity based in Krabi (the mainland town closest to Phi Phi).Since the Tsunami they have been supporting a lot of children in the region that lost either one or both parents. A lot of these children are being looked after by elderly grandparents or relatives who are struggling to cope. We have undertaken to support two children at the cost of £550 per annum for each child until they reach the age of 18. At this early stage we are not sure of which children we will be supporting, however we have asked if one of our children can be from Koh Phi Phi. We will post more details ( if possible) once we have heard back from the director of the project Robert Reynolds and will keep you all informed.

Krabi Community Centre - The Sriphong Phukaoluan Foundation are also in the process of setting up a community centre in Krabi which - once it is built- will provide a fantastic centre to help the whole community. The trust have decided to look at supporting the centre once planning permission is granted. We all feel that this would be a very worthwhile project as a lot of displaced Phi Phi families are now based in Krabi town trying (and often struggling) to rebuild their lives.

Tool Kits - In October 2006 we were delighted to be at the Minster Stone Yard once again in the company of manager Steve Mills and all his colleagues'. This years tool kit was presented to the latest apprentice Matthew Cook. The Minster have a monumental task ahead to restore the East Front and The Stephen Magson Memorial Trust will be with them all the way providing the tools for the apprentice's as they are taken on.

Donation to York Rotary Club - We were very impressed by the fantastic effort of the York Rotary Club during their annual Dragon Boat Race on the River Ouse in July this year. Even though our jacket Potato Stall was not the most successful of our fund raisers - we wanted to thank support the Rotary Club. The local charities they support benefit enormously from this dynamic event.

BCIS Prize - During our Trip back to Thailand in 2006 we spent some time at the BCIS Phuket ( British Curriculum International School of Phuket) This is where Denise and India were cared for in the week after the Tsunami and we were delighted to meet up with some of the staff who gave so generously during their own Christmas holiday to help to Tsunami survivors. In appreciation for the schools generosity the Trust wanted to put in place an annual prize in Steve's name. With the help of the deputy head of the upper school Barry Daniels ( who personally was a great help and support to Denise) we have established the "Stephen Magson Annual Design Prize" and donated a £200.00 annual prize fund. The winners of the prize for the best design work in the Upper School both receive a design book to keep. The remainder of the money is to be donated to a local charity that children who have won the prize will choose themselves. We have asked the children to let us know what charity they have chosen so we can add the details to the web site - so watch this space!

This year the prizes where won by Micheline Widler Year 9 and Varut Rintanalert Year 11.

N.B - We would like to thank Barry and all the staff at BCIS Phuket for all their assistance both with the prize and during the aftermath of the Tsunami.

Projects in 2005

£15,000.00 was raised in 2005. Here is a summary of projects we have funded in 2005.

£200 for Minster appeal
£600 for Minster apprentice toolkit
£1,433.50 for memorial bench
£3,742 for longtail boats (including safety equipment e.g. life jackets)
£1,500 for retraining programs
£1,000 for mobile businesses (3rd wheels)
£100 for mobile phone for Chat'
£200 for memorial plaques

Tool Kits for the Minster Stone Yard Apprentices.

When Steve left school at 15 he was taken on as an apprentice stone mason at York Minster. He served his time and worked as a Mason until his early 20’s.

In Steve’s name we have made a commitment to fund the tool kits for the new apprentices when they begin their careers at the Minster Stone Yard. On August 4th 2005 – Steve’s Birthday- we presented our first tool kit to the newest recruit Daniel Frost – a proud moment.

Boats

Many Thai boatman lost their boats and livelihoods in the Tsunami. We were touched by their plight and thought that it would be a fitting use of our trusts money to build some boats and a project that that would have been very dear to Steve.

Steve was a boat owner and loved the sea and we had had several memorable trips on the long tail boats on holiday in Thailand before the Tsunami struck.

Many of the fisherman earn their living by both fishing and taking out tourists. We have funded two boats in Thailand. The “Steve Magson” named after Steve and the “Stillington” named for Denise’s father Dennis and the good people of the North Yorkshire village who raised the money. We have one more being built at the moment. During our recent trip back to Thailand we spent a wonderful three days on the “Stillington” boat with the boat’s owner Chat. We met his family and it was wonderful to see first hand how the trust has helped rebuild lives and livelihoods on Koh Phi Phi.

The Bench

Steve loved working with wood and the committee commissioned a memorial bench to overlook Steve’s grave. One of the last pieces to be made by the retiring “Acorn Man” the North Yorkshire woodcarver Alan Grainger - the bench is a well crafted piece of work that Steve would have admired. Family and friends gathered by Steve’s grave on the 4th August 2005 to unveil the bench and remember Steve on his birthday.

Mobile Business’s in Thailand

The “ Stephen Magson Ice Cream” van is just one of five mobile businesses organised by Linda Cruse in Thailand and funded by the Trust. The scheme we support converts the owner’s motorbikes into a mobile business and helps to replace livelihoods lost by the collapse of tourism in the aftermath of the Tsunami.

Steve always talked about “giving up the rat race” and owning an ice cream van. He would have loved this project and the pictures of the school children enjoying an Ice Cream paid for by the trust was the highlight of our Christmas.

Memorial Garden on Koh Phi Phi

We visited this beautiful garden created by volunteers on Koh Phi Phi during our trip back to Thailand in October 2005. It is situated very close to where we last saw Steve before the Tsunami struck.

As well as paying for a plaque in Steve’s name we have also provided funding for Thai families (without the means) to place plaques in memory of loved ones who died on Phi Phi.

Re-Training Programmes

We have provided funding for “Retraining Grants” for Thai people who have lost their tourism livelihoods as a result of the Tsunami.

Patchwork Quilt

Denise did not want to give away Steve’s many shirts so we came up with an idea to use them by creating a patchwork quilt which will be given to my daughter India as a reminder of her loving Dad.

We formed the “Mags Rags” quilting group and the quilt is progressing well.