CYRIL DUNCAN SIAM CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION

Cyril Duncan was the son of Brian and Lek Duncan of Portmarnock, Co Dublin, Ireland and brother of Garmon, Genevieve and Pamela Duncan.

Cyril died suddenly and unexpectedly on 7th June 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand, aged 31 years.
Cyril's mother, Lek, was from Thailand. Cyril loved Thailand and was teaching children in Bangkok at the time of his sudden death and had been doing so for some time. He was very happy working there.

Cyril's parents, brother and sisters set up a fund and set up this charity in memory of Cyril. The monies raised by the Charity in Ireland went to underprivileged and disadvantaged children in Thailand, primarily by transferring the funds raised in Ireland to the charities in Thailand.

Siam, as you are aware, is the former name for Thailand itself. Siam in Thai means "smile". Everyone who knew Cyril can confirm that Cyril had a beautiful, radiant and almost constant smile which warmed all he came in contact with.

Read more about these Charities

Charities selected for support

BaanGerda

The Safe Haven Orphanage

The Wiang Kaen Centre

The John Manning Project

Mahatai Suksa Nonn Somboon School - Khon Kaen,

The Melissa Cosgrove Children's Foundation

The Burmese Children Project, Bangkok

The Gift of Happiness Foundation , Bangkok

Centre for Rehabilitation of Burmese Child Soldiers

The Cyril Duncan Siam Children's Foundation was set up as a registered charity in 2008 as a way to help to underprivileged and disadvantaged children in Thailand, primarily by transferring the funds raised in Ireland to the charities in Thailand.

The Charity functioned very successfully for 13 years, donating €150,000 to the various charities chosen. All of the Foundation's funds have been allocated in full (April 2021) and have been donated.

The Charity was de-regulated in April 2021 and no longer exists.

It was a fundamental principle of the family in setting up this Charity that the funds should go directly to the children’s charities in Thailand. All the administration and other costs in Ireland were borne by Cyril's family.

The family chose reputable charities in Thailand, where possible with minimum administration costs to ensure that the vast bulk of the monies raised in Ireland went directly for the benefit of the children in Thailand. The family wished through the Charity to raise awareness of the plight of disadvantaged children in Thailand as well as all the details of the individual charities selected. The family, in picking specific Thai charities and organisations, wanted contributors to be aware of the children’s circumstances, and the ethos and details of the charity in Thailand insofar as was possible. The family hoped that this awareness might lead to Irish people and other nationalities getting involved with the individual charities themselves, for the benefit of children in Thailand.

 

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