A FORMER Seething boy began a unique adventure on Tuesday as he looks to raise money for children in one of the poorest areas of Thailand.

Quintin Clover, 29, is leading a group of seven as they stand up paddle board for 90 miles around the county's south island of Phuket.

Together, they are spending five days on open water stand up paddle boarding, which is similar to surfing, while spending the nights sleeping on the beach.

Through their efforts they hope to raise �100,000 to help underprivileged children at the Rassada Fishing Port, which is near to where he currently lives and works in Thailand.

The former Notre Dame pupil and city barman decided to put on the gruelling challenge to try to raise money to build a school for Burmese children in the fishing village after learning about the plight.

Mr Clover, whose parents still live in Seething, said: 'These children really do get a very raw deal - no access to medicine or education and hugely exposed to human trafficking.

'Due to local politics and red tape it is incredibly hard to access government funding for immigrants.

'There is a lot of money in Phuket with foreign cash flowing in primarily due to the real estate market - I saw a way of channelling some of these funds to an exceptionally good cause, whilst also involving the Phuket community.'

A day centre, which is made of concrete blocks and fishing nets, currently helps look after 100 children, and Mr Clover hopes his charity efforts will help significantly improve conditions for them.

He said: 'We have an arrangement that if we build a community centre and school for the kids and get them to a basic level of speaking Thai that they will then be allowed to enter the Thai school system and thus end the current detrimental cycle.'

He also hopes that the challenge will become an annual event.

To sponsor him visit www.standupphuket.com