A S P E C I A L Z O O M E V E N T O N

Achyut Sanghavi

Gujarat Samachar and Asian

Voice organised a special Zoom event on Saturday 8th July on 'Our Community Organisations and their Activities' Leaders of various community organisations joined this special programme

Niraj Sutaria, President of Mahavir Foundation, Dilip Mithani, President of Navnat Vanik Association, Neetaben Bipinbhai Sheth of Jain Vishwa Bharati, Vijay Sheth of Jain network and Manharbhai Mehta, Chairman of Vanik council UK were keynote speakers for the event

The entire programme was coordinated by Jyotsnaben Shah, Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar At the beginning of the event, Chairman and Editor-In-Chief, C B Patel stated that we are starting a new chapter of Seva Yagna and Gyan Yagna Prayers were also recited by him He said that we have embarked on a new form of debate, where he defined the concept of an organisation that aims to promote a healthy and robust society An organisation is greater than an individual It relies on various factors such as grants, capacity building, and overall performance, which are intrinsically tied to the leadership and office bearers, including the chairman and president of the organisation

He said, “On the occasion of golden jubilee celebrations, Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice are organising various social service programs I humbly thank each and every one of you for your support and cooperation as readers, wellwishers, and writers We work hard to carry out the duty that has been given to us Jyotsnaben Shah is the main organiser of the program Today, we have a favourable opinion of institutions We ponder only constructively positive thoughts Let's talk about how well institutions function rather than, whether any particular institution is good or terrible

The subject of discussion is not about where the work is good or defective Gujarat Samachar's only heartfelt duty is to focus on good work so that we can give something back to the community equally ”

Jyotsnaben Shah, Consulting

Editor of Gujarat Samachar started off the zoom event on “Organisations and their functions” with a warm welcome She said, “Life is a school where one learns something new every day

Today our topic of conversation is our institutions and their services The aim of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice is the overall development of the society through zoom events ”

She said, "The origin of the institutions started when we left our home country and moved to a distant one We initially looked for a solution to many problems like an unknown country, an unknown language, a harsh environment, loneliness, etc There used to be up to 600 government entities, but some have since collapsed, others have become inactive, and some are simply still present in name There are some organisations that do amazing work and we are fortunate to have leaders of such organisations present among us ”

She added, “Understanding cooking Jain-vegetarian cuisine with enthusiasm when requested to ”

He said, “Every Sunday, our students from age 5 to 15 are taught about Indian dance and music with Mahavir band, apart from that we also teach religious and practical knowledge of 'live and let live' including non-violence and preservation of life In addition to educating not to be rude, the focus is on how children can advance in life through education We appreciate you giving us such a fantastic entertainment, music and dance activities ”

“We also fund over 100 charities every year and support local ones such as Cancer Research We sponsor two schools in Gujarat We celebrate every festival including Ramanavami, Mahavir Jayanti, Janmashtami, Paryushan, Navratri etc We also conduct career fairs and summer fairs, graduation ceremonies We are thankful to Mr CB Patel, Jyotsnaben, Maheshbhai and all staff of Gujarat Samachar They have square feet of carpark with a nice vegetarian restaurant with a range of activities for kids to elders The second floor has a huge 10,000 square feet Derasar with 108 beautiful statues and paintings of Lord Parshvanatha Everyone, including children, have worked for the Jain Network through many challenges Such institutions have been established with the cooperation of all with body, mind and money We don't do this for ourselves, we do it for our children, future generations ”

Vanik Council UK Chairman, Ma nhar bh ai Me hta said, “The organisation was established in 1948 under the name of National Council of Vanik Association 25 institutes are networked with this institute We act as chaplains to provide religious support to Jains who are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in England We cater to all organisations in the Vanik community We have also taken care of health and well-being promotion for the members of various organisations We run matrimonial services in an effort to ensure that young men and women of our society get married within the Jain and Hindu community ” how organisations may appeal to the younger members of society is crucial Today, these trailblazers will share with us the secrets to their companies' success We will discuss how the generational gap is widening and learn how to narrow it with different solutions given by top executives of firms We will learn from the leaders present today about the factors that have shaped their organisations We hope that organisations that are inactive or simply present in the society will get inspiration from our zoom event ”

Nira j Sut aria, the youngest president of Mahavir Foundation, said, “Any organisation is not run by one person, but even by the smallest person We consider how to engage people of every generation, including young children and students The committee thought of organising cultural programs in which everyone can showcase their skills We work with the concept of celebrating every festival of Indian culture It has grown from just 400 to 800 members and life members have also increased Along with religious planning, we also organise various events, competitions to explain how to move forward in UK culture

The young boys have started platform ”

President of Navnat Vanik Association, Mr Dilip V Mit hani narrated the history of Navnat He said, “Currently, we have 3500 members During Covid period, we let the NHS use our venue for five months for vaccination purposes We also took up volunteering task of delivering groceries and medicines to the elders For this, Gujarat Samachar also awarded the organisation a special award of “Sevaratna”

Our mission is to carry out activities for the welfare of the Navnat community in the UK which mainly includes cultural, religious, social, educational and recreational programs as well as taking care of the physical and mental health of every individual ”

He said, “We have many affiliated organisations and branches It includes Yuva Mandal, Vruddh Mandal with more than 500 members and Bhagini Samaj with 1000 members On an average 350 to 400 members attend each of our functions Food is arranged by our kitchen committee and nothing is brought in from outside Many groups also run yoga classes and sports classes We have a group called 'Jalsa Kar' which provides fun to everyone through been a valuable voice for all Gujaratis in the UK ”

Neetaben Bipinbhai Shet h of Jain Vishwa Bharati said, “I have a lot of gratitude from Jain society which I will never forget Today I got a chance to talk about those who have nonviolence in conduct, pluralism in thought, freedom in speech, and non-violence in life ” She talked about Sadhaviji and her virtues, which had longstanding visions

Vijaybhai S et h of Jain Network said, “Everyone has a mission in life, just as CB has taken up the mission of building Gujarat in the UK by bringing everyone together Jain Network's mission is to improve the spiritual and physical quality of life for the Jain and non-Jain communities

Be it Navnat, Mahavir Foundation and any Hindu organisations, the roots of every organisation are the blessings of the elders and their hard work It takes a lifetime to understand their hard work We are lucky that even in such a country, religion and culture, Gujarati mother tongue can be seen ”

“A new 30,000 square feet center is coming up in Collingdale by Jain Network It's not just a Jain Derasar, there are beautiful arrangements, 10,000

“We provide funeral services for Jains only In Jain society, ordinary and trained volunteer brothers like us do the funerals Our team of volunteers provides service to elderly people who are alone We make sure that their time is spent well, their mental health is preserved and that they are happy, whether at home or outside Today, we also create awareness about organ donation When someone needs a heart, eye, kidney, liver, or other organ, there is a system in place to donate that person's deceased organs We have started this activity since 2017 covering the Jain and Hindu community only

At the end of the program CB Patel thanked the leaders of the organisations who participated in the event He gave insight and stated that there is no longer a distinction between Jain and non-Jain He also talked about the plans for upcoming events After this, the Q & A was conducted Vote of thanks was given by Kanti Nagda MBE, CEO of Sangat Centre He thanked the all community leaders of various organsations who participated in the programme and shared information about their activities

Scan to watch this zoom event or visit our Youtube channel: @abplgroup8772

Kamal

Pankhania

Chief Executive Officer, the Westcombe Group

The Westcombe Group look ahead for H2

Withinc reas in g mortgage rates, the outlook for the hous in g market may be uncertain, but at Westcomb e Group we con tin ue to build apace , with several projects completing or being started in th e coming months We’re c ommitted to overhaulin g listed buil dings to ma ke them in to the b eautiful, mod ern housing that we n eed, an d the rest of this year will b e n o different

We are focused on completing our development at Chancery Lane next month, on which we have already exchanged contracts with a private buyer

The development renovates a Grade II listed building in a prestigious address close to the Royal Courts of Justice and Lincoln’s Inn, at the heart of the legal district The development will produce 14 boutique apartments, demonstrating yet again how buildings hundreds of years old can be converted for spacious, modern living

W e a r e r e l e a s i n g t h e n e x t p h a s e o f o u r development at Kingswood Gate in Northwood, a collection of new and refurbished apartments, next week, following the successful sale of all units in Phase One of the development, with Phase Three being completed in the first quarter of next year As a mainly new development, Phase Two still retains the classical style which makes our redeveloped listed buildings so sought-after

W e s t c o m b e w i l l b e g e t t i n g “ s h o v e l s i n t h e ground” on several new projects this year, including the redevelopment of six luxury flats in a Victorian building on High Holborn in September, and a new development at Gerrard’s Cross near Uxbridge, where work on a complex of residential buildings and industrial warehouses will begin in January 2024 We will also start work on eight houses in Thurlow Park

Looking further ahead, work will start soon on redeveloping the ballroom at St Bernard’s Hospital, the final stage of our conversion of a Grade II Listed building in West Ealing The redevelopment offers traditional living in a stunning listed building in a remarkably green corner of West London, and we expect to complete this final stage in September 2024

One of our biggest developments will be opening in October of this year The Hampton by Hilton Hotel in Old Street, East London, will offer a new, high-quality destination for tourism and business in the heart of one of London’s most popular areas

C r u c i a l l y , t h e d e v e l o p m e n t m a i n t a i n s o u r l o n g s t a n d i n g c o m m i t m e n t t o m a i n t a i n i n g a n d defending heritage wherever we work

T h e h o t e l i s l o c a t e d w i t h i n t h e U n d e r w o o d conservation area Designated in 1990, the area is made up of a fine group of nineteenth century warehouses and other important historic buildings, s u c h a s t h e E a g l e T a v e r n T h r o u g h o u t i t s development we considered how to maintain the varied character of the street and the Victorian industrial character of the wider conservation area

Alongside our development work, the Westcombe Foundation has continued our charitable endeavours So far this year we have responded quickly to crises like the earthquake in Turkey and Syria by partnering w i t h K h a l s a A i d I n t e r n a t i o n a l t o f u n d t h e i r emergency support and meals for those who had lost their homes

T a c k l i n g h o m e l e s s n e s s i s c e n t r a l t o o u r Foundation’s work, focusing on the capital We s u p p o r t e d S P E A R L o n d o n ’ s o u t r e a c h s e r v i c e s i n Southwest London, as well as funding Centrepoint’s work to help at risk young people live independently and worked closely with Ealing Soup Kitchen to help homeless and vulnerable people in West London As t h e y e a r e n d s a n d w i n t e r a p p r o a c h e s , w e w i l l continue to focus on helping the homeless here in the UK

We’re always looking at new opportunities to acquire more properties which we can turn into our n e x t g e n e r a t i o n o f l i s t e d h o m e s A n d w i t h a n economic downturn looking to be on the horizon, we are also identifying substantial acquisitions alongside o u r d e v e l o p m e n t w o r k , i n c l u d i n g a d d i t i o n a l residential buildings, hotels and mixed-use schemes Planning, however, continues to be a challenge, w i t h a n e t w o r k o f d i f f e r e n t l o c a l c o u n c i l s a n d government regulations meaning that processes are significantly longer and more complex than required Despite this, as our pipeline demonstrates, the future is bright