How punk's DIY ethos took Fareham's Mark Steadman to Laos in South East Asia and earned him an MBE for his work with Lone Buffalo

So when Mark Steadman attended Buckingham Palace to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), as an old punk and massive music fan, he couldn’t resist.

Alongside the Clash badges pinned discreetly inside his blazer – you’re not allowed to wear anything on the outside for the ceremony – he was indeed carrying a sponge and rusty spanner in his pocket.

The 59-year-old was made an MBE in the 2023 New Year’s Honour List for services to youth development in the South East Asian country of Laos.

As co-founder of the Lone Buffalo English school, Mark has lived in the town of Phonsavan since 2011.

Mark grew up in Fareham and studied St Anne’s School, then Fareham Technical College, before leaving as “I decided I didn't really want to learn anything else – I was too engrossed in the world of rock'n'roll.”

In 1983 he began working at the Virgin Megastore in the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth, “it was”, says Mark, “probably the coolest record store outside London at the time, it was a great place to cut your spurs.”

From there he went travelling before returning to the UK, ending up with working for his former competitors, HMV, ultimately moving to their head office in London.

"I had a wonderful time as their rock and pop manager and did a lot of buying and negotiating with record companies, up until the backside fell out of the industry – digital came along and I was getting a bit restless, so I took off on a trip around the world.”

The original Lone Buffalo

It was on this trip that he first visited the landlocked nation and fell in love with it. A country of just 7.5m people, it is ”in the UN's least developed country bracket,” explains Mark. “Outside (the capital) Vientiane and (second city) Luang Prabang, things are fairly rural and basic.

“I wrote in my diary at the time that I knew I'd be back there some day, and that day did come. When I went back to the UK from that trip, I knew I didn't want to walk back through corporate doors.

"I eventually became a tour guide and a tour leader.”

It was while in this role that he met Manophet, “the original Lone Buffalo”.

“He was a local tour guide, so I'd bring my groups to Phonsavan, and Manophet was my contact when we got there and would show us around.

“In those days it was a pretty difficult stop to manage on the tour because there wasn't much there in infrastructure compared to now. He would bring the town alive and people would love him.

“As well as doing the stuff with him, he would tell us all about unexploded ordinance clearance,” Laos has the tragic distinction of being the most bombed country in the world, “because he was involved in that programme, and then we'd go to his school and watch him teach English in the evening, with a load of young people that he crammed into the ground floor of his house.

“He was just one of those people you meet and you're inspired by him. He had that effect on me – so much so that I decided that when he died suddenly in 2010 that something needed to be done to remember both him and to continue free English tuition in the town. Free English isn't something that really happens anywhere in Laos – not even today.

“It was quite a unique opportunity for young people and I wanted to make sure that didn't die, so I stepped in.”

Applying the ‘punk-rock ethos’

As Mark explains it, none of this was planned – he had no background or training in education, or with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“The great thing about Lone Buffalo was that it was organic – I just saw an opportunity that I could jump into.

“But for me that's an advantage, taking a completely fresh approach with no preconceptions and as I like to say, applying my punk-rock ethos – do it yourself. Punk was all about 'we can't play', but that doesn't mean we can't be in a band and then we can learn how to play. That's really what we do – DIY, and we can do it ourselves together.

“The reason we're so successful is because we've brought young people into our programme, regardless of their age, it's all on their abilities. I've got 14-year-olds who are co-ordinating an environmental project with 180 students because they're good enough to.

“We break down these boundaries and go with what we think is right, and our young people are incredibly talented.

“Part of what we're offering as well as English, which is our primary function, is to introduce life skills and training along the way. A big part of our programme is leadership. Without the young people who are our beneficiaries we wouldn't be so successful. The young people are so heavily involved it gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership, then they train their successors before they leave.

“Eighty-seven per cent of our students last year went on to tertiary education against the national average of 15. It's higher than the UK as well!”

As to his future, Mark can’t see himself ever returning to the UK for long.

"I've become de-Westernised, I couldn't come back and live in a Western culture and society. My way of thinking, my values and everything have been changed by my experiences in Laos.

"I never use the word ‘poor’ about our young people because there's financially poor and then there's culturally poor, if you like, and I know that our kids are very rich in culture. They all have enough food to eat and they have good opportunities. They may not have a lot of money, but that's sort of by-the-by.

“I've adopted a lot of those values.”

Only family would bring him back – his mum still lives in Fareham.

“If she needed help, I would come back, but longer term? I see myself as staying there and continuing to develop young people, but I am gradually passing responsibility to the local team. My function at Lone Buffalo is to oversee everything we do – PR, marketing and fundraising - all the teaching side of things is managed by my local team now, and all the development work and other projects are run by my development manager.

“If I don't need to be in Ponthsavan I know the team can manage things.

"I find things a lot less complicated there and I'm happy to live a simple life and do something meaningful that makes me feel good too. It makes me feel happy, and then I see that reflected in others as well.”

Find out more about Lone Buffalo or to make a donation to their work, go to lonebuffalo.org.

Why does a punk accept an honour from the palace?

​When Mark Steadman found out he was going to be made an MBE, he admits “it was a little bit of a dilemma” about whether he should accept it or not, “because of my punk-rock roots and my views on the monarchy”.

However, after some reflection he decided he would accept.

“It would be an injustice to the young people who inspired me to stay in Laos that long – it would be unfair on them to turn down an award for a personal view and deprive the project of the attention off the back off it.

“And I was able to tell my dad just before he passed away that I'd been nominated which was lovely – he never would have forgiven me if I refused!”

Mark has returned to the UK for a brief visit, and it was last week that he went to Buckingham Palace where it was Princess Anne who presented him with the honour.

“I enjoyed the day and I enjoyed the experience. She's a real professional and the way she did things was good – it was amazing to hear her say ‘Manophet’ and ask me about him. I'm glad I did it.”

But he couldn’t do it without a nod to his roots. “I had some nice shiny DMs on and a nice cut suit – and my Clash badges were inside because you're not allowed to wear anything on the outside – my Complete Control badge was inside my jacket.

“If you know the song The Queen is Dead by The Smiths, there’s a reference to a sponge and a rusty spanner. So I had a spanner I'd rusted overnight and a little sponge, which was in my pocket alongside my Clash badges. That was my little statement at the palace – I had a bit of fun with the musical references, that was good for my audience!”