This latest productionfrom HHI tells the stories of four schools, two in India and two in Zambia which have benefitted tremendously from the support of HHI and the monies provided by it in recent years to help with the building of extensions and the provision of much needed facilities. The progress they have all made and the improvement in the lives of the children who attend them, many of them severely handicapped makes for heart warming reading.
Four-SchoolsTom Sutherland – In the Shade of the Banyan Tree
This is the title of Iain Park’s latest book, a biography of Tom Sutherland, following up his earlier books ‘The Centenary History of the Strathaven Scouts’ and his climbing book ‘Eye to the Hills’
Tom, the son of a Presbyterian Minister, was born and spent his early years in the state of Victoria, Australia. After graduating with an Arts degree from Melbourne University he was a lecturer in Humanities at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Even as a schoolboy Tom committed himself to helping others and as student and lecturer in Melbourne he devoted all of his spare time and energies to many good causes and particularly to helping the young and disadvantaged people of all ages.
In 1975, aged 38, he travelled to India at the invitation of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charities Brothers in Calcutta intending to spend a few months working with them. He has stayed in India ever since. Inspired by the work of the Brothers and Mother Teresa herself he has spent the last 40 years working tirelessly to improve the lives of the poor, the sick and the destitute people in the southern state of Kerala. Having giving up all his own possessions he has lived the life of those he has been serving and denied himself any of the conveniences of modern life, supported in what he has done by family and friends in Australia and by others whom he has inspired in other parts of the world.
One of these was Ron Prosser, the founder of Health Help International. Ron and HHI have been supporting Tom for the past twenty years, and providing him with regular funds to enable him to carry out his humanitarian work in Kerala.
Iain’s account of Tom’s life of service has been published in the form of a high quality paper-back book of about 165 pages including over 100 colour photographs.
The book costs £15 all of which will go to HHI to provide continuing support for Tom’s work in India through the activities of his Charity the Banyan Tree.
PLEA FOR HELP
When the Indian government announced that their country would be in lockdown with just a few hours warning, many people were unprepared. At SFHHI and HHI we received a request for assistance from Pastor Wilson at the Neyer Dam; many people did not have sufficient food for their families. Money was sent, from reserves and from specific donations, to enable the purchase of essential rice and vegetables. The pictures below show the distribution of these bags of food.
This is an extract from Pastor Wilson’s reply
“Warm greetings from BGM. Thank you very very much for your support for Covid 19 people. We distributed rice with vegetables to the very hungry people with your all donations.
Thanks you very much . After some people receive things they cry with their happy.
They are very very happy.”
Thank you all for your support which allowed us to respond quickly.
Eye to the Hills
‘Eye to the Hills’
is a personal account of Iain Park’s lifetime of climbing experiences and relates mainly to his climbing over the past 60 years with several generations of Scouts.
In that time Iain has climbed nearly 1300 Munros.
He has been a member of the Scout Movement for 70 years.
Although it is a personal account the book will be of interest to other Munroists and the photographs of Scottish Mountain Scenes will appeal to climbers and non climbers alike.
All copies of the first print run have been sold and a
second impression of the book has now been printed.
Order a copy now for delivery by Christmas.
Priced at £25, all of this sum, will be given to the Charity
Health Help International
of which Iain is a Trustee.
Have a look at the stunning photographs!