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MIDNIGHT WALK

LONDON / On Friday 27th June, 83 ladies from Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury joined hundreds of other women for St Luke’s Midnight Walk, walking 9 miles to raise even more money in support of St Luke’s Hospice. At least £2000 has been raised, bringing the Mandir’s total to £26,000 in just 3 months. As well as those taking part in the walk, another 25 members helped marshal the Walk to ensure it was safe and organised. The hospice is a local charity caring for residents and families in Brent and Harrow, whose illnesses are no longer curable, and has been serving society for over 65years. Amongst the participants were several women with very personal accounts and first hand experience of the fantastic work the Hospice does, with the youngest participant just 12 years

of age. Bhavna Varsani’s mother was cared for by St Luke’s and said, “Mum spent approximately 10 days at the Hospice. She loved the doctors and nurses. From the first day she came in they knew what mum liked and how to make her comfortable. She felt like she was being cared for by her own family.” Pam Russell, Director of Fundraising and Community Relations at St Luke’s Hospice has shown her appreciation of the Mandir’s efforts and said, “St Luke’s Hospice is overwhelmed by the support we have received from everyone at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury. Not only have this community been fundraising but the volunteering support has been invaluable. The temple has helped us to reach out to the community and helped many more understand the work of the hospice and why the support of local people and the local community is so important, as we rely on donations and volunteers to keep caring for people in Harrow and Brent.” In celebration of and in the run up to the Grand Opening Festival of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury in August 2014, this is just one of the charitable endeavours the organisation has embarked on. The Mandir’s spiritual leader, Acharya Swamishree Maharaj advocates “Dedicating one’s life to the service of others is the truest celebration of a festival”, and it’s this dedication to helping others that has recently earned the Mandir a Civic Award from the London Borough of Barnet. The charity drive began with the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury Mile, which saw the total amount raised by the Mandir over the years for Sport Relief break through the £40,000 mark. This was followed by the Mandir’s eleventh blood donation session on Sunday 13th April, bringing the total amount of units of blood collected at the Mandir to 1049, saving hundreds of lives along the way. On Saturday 26th April, 16 daring members stepped out of a mid-air flight with an adventurous sky dive at Hinton Airfield, Northants, raising a further £20,000. On Sunday 15th June, 14 brave swimmers took part in the Great North Swim at the very scenic Windermere, Lake District to raise another £4000. Upcoming events include the twelfth successive blood donation session, to be held at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury on Sunday 13th July. The Grand Opening of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury in August 2014 will be a magnificent six-day festival that will see evening concerts, street parades and other arts and cultural events for the entire family. The Mandir will be housed in Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Complex, which also includes Abji Bapashree House - a local enterprise centre for small business use, and Purushottam Mahal - a state of the art multifunctional sports and events facility. Purushottam Mahal was recently opened by Mayor of London Boris Johnson who was ‘impressed’ and ‘amazed’ with the grandiose welcome and what this community has achieved.To find out more about the organisation, the festival in August or to sign up to the charity events, visit. www.SwaminarayanGadi.com/london.

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