Raising money to help children in Cambodia.

Hello and welcome to my crowdfunding project, thank you for taking the time to look through it. Even if you don’t donate I am glad that you have looked and are wanting to help and see the difference people are trying to make in the world. It tells me that even if you’re looking you are trying to make a difference yourself.

For me, I’m trying to make a difference in children’s lives out in Cambodia. I lived out there and for a long while I was blind to the poverty, as I think we all are, but for me perhaps it was a matter of not wanting to see it or know it. However there came a point where I could resist no longer and I pushed myself into doing something to help and haven’t looked back since. Being a part of a team brings these children from different schools in the surrounding area together and gives them direction. It is something to focus on in their life which is fun and teaches them principles they can follow throughout the rest of their life; hard work (built up through training), social skills (many different children), commitment (they commit to coming every week) and communication (on the field of play and off it).

The story of Football 4 Kampuchea

I was originally working at an English school teaching children who live on a rubbish dump to speak English so that they could better prepare for the future. After this, I went my own way for a while. Working all over the place until my Khmer teacher said to me that his friend’s organisation was starting a football team and needed a coach. He asked if I would be interested in helping out; if you know me, you would know I leapt at the chance and immediately went to buy balls, bibs and cones for them to practice with.

The coaching all started on the 28th February 2016. That was my first day, I was so nervous! Speaking Khmer to a load of children and teenagers worried me so much! Would I be understood? Would my session work out okay? As you can imagine it all went fine and in truth, I became addicted to it! I loved coaching and I loved my days that I would coach but at that time I knew there would be a dark day ahead, me coming back to England. It was already set in stone by then. Over the coming months we got new players, we had some great wins and some sore losses but the kids took it all on the chin and really made me proud.

I came back on the 24th August 2016. It was the hardest day of my life. Prior to leaving, my friend Andy got involved with the coaching and began to help me with my session plans and coaching in general. He was kind enough to take it over from me. He lost a lot of players the day I went because they didn’t want to swap over to someone new but this was not an issue for Andy as he soon found 30 new players raring and ready to play! I didn’t truly believe him when he told me this in September. But when I went back in December that’s when I saw he wasn’t exaggerating and I realised this could be huge, we could help so many people! We could give an outlet to these teens and young people a place to voice concerns in a safe space and help them deal the difficulties of their situation through football, the thing that connects us all.

What you can do to help

However, to keep this great work going and make sure we make a real difference in these children’s lives, we need your help.

We want to take the next step, we want to become officially registered in the UK with a charity number; we want to expand so that we can reach more would-be players, and we want to coach the older children to become coaches so that gain more skills which could open up a career opportunity. We have so many ideas but this is the first step. Any funding we receive will be directly invested into these children and this charity. Some of our children don’t play with boots or socks, your money will go to buying them boots. We practice in the day time which is, predictably quite hot; your money will go to providing water to every child, every session. We want the teams to enter tournaments, we think they’re ready! But some children need photos taken and don’t have the money to get them done, your money will enable us to get those photos taken. Your money will unlock so many children’s potential and whatever little you will donate will help us with that.

Thank you for reading.

All the best,

Greg

P.s. Please find attached my blog: gregorypreston.blogspot.co.uk

The charity’s website http://football4kampuchea.org/

If you have any experience with regards to doing something like this or can help in any way other than a donation please do get in touch gregpreston@football4kampuchea.org

Even if you can’t donate, don’t worry! But please share on Social Media or with anyone you think might support us!