Apologies for absence yesterday, the day got away from me. The blog would have said something like, “really pleased Celtic pushed back so vocally against the illiberal and ill-conceived Offensive Behaviour Act”, but with less brevity.
Shortly before Christmas we launched the campaign to fund the construction of a school kitchen in Malawi through Mary’s Meals to mark the 10th anniversary of Celtic Quick News. The project would cost £7000 and to get us there we scheduled a St Patrick’s Day dinner dance for next Friday, 14 March.
8 days out I am delighted to inform you the target money has been raised, Mary’s Meals already have £7000 in their bank, the project is officially funded and construction plans are underway.
That the money was raised ahead of the event was a surprise, although after 10 years of watching Celtic fans go about their business in this manner, it shouldn’t have been.
We received a remarkable donation from Patrick Foley’s Irish Bar & Restaurant in Gent, and Barney Vallely’s Irish Pub in Cologne, who between them raised €2600.
You don’t think of Gent and Cologne as being big ‘Celtic towns’. I’m sure they are not, but there enough Celtic fans in each city to form a proper community. Their work has been incredible and a real inspiration. Thank you to Patrick, Charlie and their patrons. Special thanks to Kolncelt, who orgainsed the entire effort, but has had to cancel his trip to Glasgow next week.
This gave us a problem, of course, The Show is going ahead next week, but the kitchen at the Kholoni Primary School is already paid for, what will be our focus next week. Here is a remind of what that £7000 is going to achieve:
Mary’s Meals feed 822,142 kids each day across some of the most impoverished areas of the world. The global average annual cost per child is £10.70, and is only £7 in Malawi, where the Kholoni Primary School is.
Kitchens are brick constructed and fully stocked with stoves, pots, serving utensils, mugs and cutlery. They also have a wall-mounted blackboard, so the room can be used as a classroom outside of meal times.
The charity started in 2002 when founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow met a mother dying of AIDS, and her child, whose only ambition was to have enough food to eat.
93% of money raised goes directly to the needy and, where possible, the 65,000 volunteers who keep the project running are drawn from parents and relatives of the children being fed.
The impact in Malawi, 17th poorest country by UN measures, is significant. Mary’s Meals provide a daily meal to 20% of the countries primary school aged children. The impact is more than just feeding the hungry, two years after a Mary’s Meals project in Malawi starts, school enrolment is up an average of 30%, leading to higher educational achievements, and a better chance in life.
I’m open to ideas on what to focus on next week but my instinct is to get back onto Mary’s Meals and ask where they next need a kitchen.
A couple of pairs of tickets have become available for Friday’s CQteN St Patrick’s Day at the Kerrydale Suite, Celtic Park. £50 per ticket, dinner, dancing, two acts, Irish dancers; it is shaping up to be quite an event. Email Tony if you want to be there, cqnbooks@gmail.com
We have a donations page for CQN Mary’s Meals’ projects, if you would like to help out, you can do so here.
Seville, The Celtic Movement, launches this month.
Order yours below:
[calameo code=0003901714cb03d5d5808 lang=en page=114 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
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Celtic
shoots
third?
or a miss?
Sorry Martin 1980
Gb
A pod will have to do for today.
john o’neil
12:00 on 6 March, 2014
“Tartan Army”
I agree, they are morons when they get in the pack, and that’s from someone who goes to many home games.
I also hate the whole militaristic element in football:
* army
* brigade
* armed forces day
* poppies on jerseys
coatbridge paper bhoy
Congratulations!, reverse result from back yonder! Expect a full acceptance speech!
Paul67
Incredible achievement to all involved in the fund raising.
Having been to Kenya myself to do a similar charity event. I know first hand the difference this will make.
Superb stuff
LB
I’m very shy, don’t do speech’es , although I accept your congratulations .
Gb
Billy Bhoy05
“Scottish people are renowned throughout the world for their good humour, fairness and generally niceness of their
demeanour.”
Don’t think that stands up to the test of evidence.
Where we are considered at all, in the popular culture of other countries, we are generally portrayed as aggressive, hard drinking, grudge holding and tight with money. (Shrek meets Groundskeeper Willie meets Scrooge McDuck)
Were you perhaps thinking of the Irish? :-)
Will technology have a big part to say in us moving to another leauge ?
Surely the English clubs recent financial results show a model that is knackered
from top to bottom and a place we would not want to have our healthy club compete in.
If we are moving to another leauge does it exsist yet ?
With other big clubs like Celtic in small leauges also looking for ways out and new income sources could there be a change in domestic competitions around europe on the horizon ?
Just a thought but with Peter Lawell at the ECA I’m sure we are covered should anything like this be in play.
Livibhoy, you going to CQTEN ?.
Gb
Great news Paul. Up the Celts!
Tom,
Can’t be bothered with racism from supporters but national teams tend to attract such behaviour. Have a good day CQN.
If I am ever again in Cologne or Gent (when did they drop their silent H?) there are two pubs which deserve a bit of custom.
A big Well Done to all concerned.
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
12:41 on 6 March, 2014
From the Wikipedia entry for Scotch Tape.
‘The use of the term Scotch in the name was a pejorative meaning “stingy” in the 1920s and 1930s. The brandname Scotch came about around 1925 while Richard Drew was testing his first masking tape to determine how much adhesive he needed to add. The bodyshop painter became frustrated with the sample masking tape and exclaimed, “Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!”
Paul67
Love this blessed Blog and the great charitable works it produces.
It always reminds me, especially when I’m having a poor day, that there is always someone worse off.
Much, much worse off.
God bless all concerned and prayers said for the poor wee mites too!
Thank you.
coatbridge paper bhoy
I sure am. Myself and my wife will be there. very much looking forward to it.
LB
Not my experience SFTB. Say you are Scottish and the reaction is good. Many good characteristics associated with Scots. Well, it helps to be a Celtic man of course.
CQN fundraising always beats its initial target, Paul – and it seems to do so no matter how optimistic it seems.
I’m sure Mary’s Meals have a long list of projects that they could fund with additional money.
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
If I was out boozing and someone called me a tight Scotsman I would punch their lights out and never speak to them again!
LB
Great news Paul……….!
Looking forward to CQNTen night out.
Assuming that apart from the drink order form there will be a cash bar on the night……….
Also any idea of the menu choices?
HH
“Not my experience SFTB.”
What??? You’ve never heard of Groundskeeper Willie? :-)
I’d like to think that many of the foreigners I encountered on my travels liked me too. Not one of them did so because of my nationality. I would feel uncomfortable hanging about with people making such glib judgements.
paul67,
Great news, my son and I spent a very enjoyable afternoon in Barney Vallely’s with a guy who I believe was Kolncelt at the back end of 2012. We watched an away victory at Pittodrie and a good afternoon was had by all.
Many thanks is due to the guys at both Barney’s and Patrick’s.
AR
Broken faimilies in launs we’ve hairriet
Will curse ‘Scotlan the Brave’ nae mair, nae mair
Livi Bhoy
Very good! I hope everyone realises that was a funny.
Or are you forewarning us for CQTEN? :-)
e=mc2 skiving at work
11:28 on
6 March, 2014
I had fallen out of love with Scotland at a young age at Hampden after hearing our players roundly booed whilst being announced over the tannoy.
—–
Sorry but I’ve attended almost every Scotland game since 1979 and I have never heard this – maybe in early seventies??? Don’t know cos I wasn’t there
==============
e-mc2
Brian McClair was loudly jeered coming on as a sub for Scotland vs Malta around 1992.
Thats was the catalyst for me to chuck it and hope they got pumped every time they played, up until a couple of years ago.
I’ve calmed down a bit now though:)
ps. McClair was a Man Utd player at the time and got abuse because he was a **former** Celtic player.
What an excellent cause. Agree with the approach to ask Mary’s Meals where they next need a kitchen.
I agree SFTB but when you are thousands of miles away from ‘home’, little acts of human warmth endear. Even when they are shallow stereotypical impressions.
Off oot.
Paul67 great news, well done to everyone involved HH
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
A bit of lunchtime banter.
I’m the type of guy when a fight breaks out to be holding the jackets.
LB
If your honest you could pick out at least 20 countries whose people/football fans have a reputation for loving the bevvy.
martybhoy59
21:15 on 5 March, 2014
Estorilbhoy
Next door table 35
—
Cheers Marty, close enough to buy me a pint. :))
The charity started in 2002 when founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow met a mother dying of AIDS, and her child, whose only ambition was to have enough food to eat.
Very sad
Gb
Sun now shining down through the fog here in Lower Saxony ….a braw help from the Continental Celts….braw…Celts everywhere can be rightly proud of their football club….aye tis a Braw thing …
wonderfulthingswecandocfc braw
livibhoy – god bless wee oscar
12:28 on 6 March, 2014
NatKnow
We are staying in the Travel Inn/lodge at the end of London Road. £29 for the night. Can give you a lift back to Edinburgh or Livi next day.
————————–
Cheers mate – much appreciated but for various reasons I need to be back same night! Hopefully will get the chance to chat though. Drop by and meet the Table 27 Massive!
Great stuff Paul.
Some of the fans I’ve sat next to appear not to care much for gents cologne either ;)
traditionalist88
12:55 on 6 March, 2014
I can fully concur……and my 1969 experience of ‘them’ booing anything Celtic was a lot worse, let me tell you ……. anyone who thinks otherwise needs to get out more …LOL …will never again set foot in Hampden Park
geordie munro
13:04 on 6 March, 2014
Doesn’t make me a bad person….hahahahahahahahahahahahaha