Many people, both local residents and visitors, will know Tim Steele, who has had his base in Kilchoan for nearly twenty years. After being deeply involved in the completion and opening of our Community Centre, he began his travels, so we've not seen so much of him except for when, during breaks back in this country, he volunteered in the Centre.
Before the tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka, he worked with VSO in setting up community-based organisations there, using his experience from setting up the Community Centre as well as from his earlier private sector commercial career.
Post-disaster relief work in Sri Lanka included raising nearly $500,000 from UDAid to reconstruct villages, houses, clinic and schools, empowering local people to do the work.
In Bangladesh he has helped set up a pharmaceutical company, has set up a Prince of Wales Youth Business International programme, a Bangladesh Youth Enterprise Advice and Helpcentre, and supported the development of an inbound tourism facility that involved the building of an eighteen-berth luxury river cruiser.
Most recently, he has concept developed, and overseen the design, engineering and construction of a luxury resort Surfing Club, the Cox’s Bazar Surf Club, and opened it to provide facilities for both resident expatriates and inbound tourists, on what is believed to be one of the world’s longest sea beaches....
....the 120km beach that reaches from Cox’s Bazar - named in 1799 for Scots-born Captain Hiram Cox - to the Myanmar border on the Naf river.
The Club was officially opened in June by the British High Commissioner, HE Robert W Gibson CMG. Tim now expects to be seen more often back in Kilchoan.
It's always good to carry news of the links this small Scottish community has to many unusual places across the world. If you have a story, please contact the Diary
His depth of knowledge on Bangladesh's heritage surpasses scholar, be it local or international. His articles published in the local Bangladeshi papers inspired many to be proud of that land.
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