On the 22nd of May, 2017, Scott Thompson, the Scottish man behind #BerlariTerus Jakarta (2012) and #BecakTerus Aceh-Tangerang (2015) received a British Empire Medal- a recognition from the British Empire for his charity.
Photo : Scott Thompson with British Ambassador for Indonesia HE Moazzam Malik
Scott had lived in Indonesia for over ten years, but was only recognized for his accomplishments in 2010 when he joined the 3-day long ultra-marathon, and ran for 250 KM in the Sahara Desert to support kids with Cancer. In Indonesia (2012), Scott ran and formed a campaign called #BerlariTerus. For 25 days, he ran a total of 1,250 KM from Bali to Jakarta. The amount raised was donated to YCAB Foundation and Mary’s Cancer Kiddies.
“Scott is the true embodiment of the extension of goodness. Scott has inspired many, and the recognition he received was well-deserved. Interestingly, Scott’s #becakterus journey broke a record on the Guinness World Book of Records. The similarity between YCAB and Scott, is our stubbornness in doing what we believe is good. With this resilience, we harvested meaningful results! An unexpected amount, greater than one million US dollars, was raised through his #berlariterus and #becakterus campaigns,” said Veronica Colondam, CEO/Founder YCAB Foundation.
In 2015, Scott Thompson was back with his #BecakTerus campaign – this time with a rickshaw called ‘Flying Merah Putih’. He traveled 2,601 Km from Aceh to Tangerang in 21 days. This time round, he raised funds for 4 foundations in Indonesia, these being: YCAB Foundation, Mary’s Cancer Kiddies, Wisma Cheshire, and Yayasan Puspita. As a result of his actions, Scott was the winner of the ‘Longest Journey by Cycle RIckshaw/Pedicab” category in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The British Empire Medal (formally known as the British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The British Empire Medal, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted in recognition of meritorious civil or military service. Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “BEM”. This medal was given by the British Ambassador for Indonesia HE Moazzam Malik at British Embassy in Jakarta.