Norman Vernon, isn't a man to do things by half measures...:

Three years ago he was enjoying his retirement, leaving a lifetime of working in the entertainment industry & amateur football behind him, minding his own business on a leisurely stroll along Jomtien beach, wondering where life's road would take him next. And as luck would have it he started chatting to Geoffrey Hughes who told Norman all about the Camillian Social Centre in Rayong.

After visiting the children and meeting Father Giovanni, Norman felt compelled to channel his experience and his vast network of contacts into hosting a fundraising dinner in Bolton in the UK, to help these poor children whose lives are affected with HIV/AIDS.

That was back in 2005, the following January Norman came back to Thailand and was proud to open the 'Kindnees Corner ' a room replete with comfy chairs, a DVD player and a whopping flat screen TV, actually it was meant to be 'Kindness Corner but the sign writer, got it wrong, but that didn't matter, the whole point was to give the children a place where they could relax away from the sometimes clinical atmosphere of the medical facilities of the Camillian Centre.

It was deemed a great success, so Norman went back to Bolton and did the same again, this time raising a bit more for the kids in Thailand and before you knew it, it was February 2007 and Norman was cutting the ribbon on a games room, where there were pool tables, table football and mini bowling lanes.

So spurred on by this mighty achievement Norman set his sights on his biggest project yet: A swimming Pool.

There were many aspects to turn this idea into a reality, first of all Norman went back to the UK armed with press cuttings from the Pattaya Mail and DVD copies of the PMTV coverage thus yet again demonstrating where the money had been spent, so with guests pencilling the dates in their diaries for another dinner, Norman flew back to Thailand and started negotiating Pattaya Pool to make sure that everything would be finished to the highest standard and on time.

He went back to the UK held his most successful dinner yet and raised what he hoped would be enough to build the kids a pool.

However in the bleakness of an autumn in England very little thought was given to the intense heat in Thailand, the piece of land where the pool was going, was just inside the centre and offered little in the way of shade for the children.

Father Giovanni mentioned as much to Norman, so the plans started to expand so that the pool should really have a roof, then showers were added and a non slip surface on all four sides.

Even with the money raised in England Normans plans were bigger than the amount of bahts in the bank. So on his return to Thailand in December 2007 Norman set about making up the shortfall, he hosted a charity evening at the Balcony in Bangkok, another at Oscars bar here in Pattaya, his friends at the Rolling Stone bar did their bit and as a final measure two fundraising dinners at Luxor restaurant.

So on Saturday the 1st of March the building work had finished and the volunteers at the Camillian Centre were putting up the balloons to welcome Norman and his friends for the completion of this massive project. His old friend Steve Williams was going round with a box to make up the 40,000 baht shortfall, which was a drop in the ocean, or pool if you like as the entire project was now over the 1.1 million baht.

Father Giovanni officiated over the proceedings with his usual flair and emphasized how important Norman's works was, helping the children by giving them emotional health and wellbeing. He explained that when they took the kids to another pool, people were sometimes reluctant to let them in, with the opening of the new pool he said that if people wanted to come and swim here, they were more than welcome.

A beaming Norman gazed around the pool surrounded by his friends and the expectant children from the centre and thanked all of the people who had helped him over the last 12 months and stressed that without them, there was no way it could have happened.

The ladies from the Rayong Red Cross were on hand to help with the cutting of the ribbon and the pool was officially opened.

Four children were selected to be the first into the pool and Father Giovanni said of one young girl ' When you first came here, you couldn't walk – now you can swim' the splashes from the pool eased the embarrassment for those who were crying and after a few laps, the children pulled an unsuspecting Norman into the pool.

Even at the ripe old age of 72, Norman did a couple of lengths with the kids and after he had tried off the sense of satisfaction was emanating from him as he watched the kids make fullest use o this latest addition to the centre.

This was a great achievement by a man whose warmth and compassion cannot be clearly articulated in words, but the look of joy on the kids faces….said it all.