On
Thursday, 14th January 2010, 50 community groups came together to
launch ‘National Sewa Day’ at the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple in
Stanmore, London. At the historic event, cultural, religious, caste, youth,
sports & health groups pledged to organise activities that promote social
action and volunteering for their members on 21st November 2010 –
which is the first National Sewa Day (NSD).
On behalf of Sewa International (UK) – the coordinating organisation behind National Sewa Day, Arup Ganguly, said,: “We are humbled with the level of support that this idea has attracted and hope that more community groups and individuals will join hands with us to make National Sewa Day a success in 2010.”
All projects must abide with three governing principles:
(1) to relieve hardship & poverty,
(2) to bring a little joy where none exists,
(3) to help the environment.
Projects will vary and encompass all age and ability groups. The two rules that will apply universally are (a) each task must not take up more than one day to complete and (b) no fund‐raising takes place on NSD.
The event
was attended by 300 leading community figures, including the Heads of the 50
founding organisations, MPs, and Councillors.
Mr Ganguly concluded by saying: “Today marks a very important day, as the founding organisations’ give us confidence to work in partnership with groups all across the country to reduce hardship & poverty, to help our environment and to bring a little joy all through volunteering – not by fund raising. It is a way for all of us to make our mark regardless of our affiliation, level of religious conviction, wealth, age, sex or nationality.”
At the event, Mr Sulakhan Singh, President of the Namdhari Sikh Sangat spoke about the reasons behind his community’s involvement; Mrs Bharti Tailor, General Secretary of Hindu Forum of Britain talked about the concept of Sewa (public service) in Hinduism; and Laura Marks, Chair of Mitzvah Day spoke about the benefits & achievements of the Jewish community’s day of public service in 2009, which involved approx 10,000 people doing good deeds all across the UK.
NOTES:
Media requests: contact Arup Ganguly on 07788 598723
If you’re an organisation that would like more information on how you could be involved, please contact Anand Vyas on 07957 197527
You can access more information on: www.nationalsewaday.org
The founding organisations include:
- Aashiana
- Aden
Depala Mitra Mandal
- Age
Concern (Brent)
- Art of
Living Foundation
- Atmavignan
Dada Bhagwan Foundation
- Balagokulum,
Borehamwood
- Balagokulum,
Leeds
- Brahma
Kumaris
- Brahmbandhu
Society UK
- Canons
Gujarati School
- Chinmaya
Mission
- City
Hindus Network
- Hindu
Forum of Britain
- HSS
Madhav Shakha, Edgware
- HSS
Arjun Shakha, Kenton
- HSS
Pratap Shakha, Finchley
- HSS
Haqeeqat Shakha, Wembley
- HSS
Keshav Shakha, Kenton
- HSS
Shakti Shakha, South Harrow
- Hindu
Sevika Samiti, Jijabai, Edgware
- Hindu
Sevika Samiti, Shakti, Finchley
- Hindu
Sevika Samiti, Laxmi, Kenton
- Hindu
Sevika Samiti, Mirabai, Wembley
- Hindu
Sevika Samiti, Durga, South Harrow
- International
Society for Krishna Consciousness
- Jalaram
Mandir, Greenford
- Mandhata
Mandal
- Namdhari
Sikh Sangat
- National
Hindu Students Forum
- Navnat
Association of UK
- Navnat
Youth Association
- National
Congress of Gujarati Associations
- OneCause
- Oshwal
Association of UK
- Patanjali Yog Peeth
- Sangat
Centre, Harrow
- Sansaar
- Shishu
Kunj
- Shree
Swaminarayan Mandir, Golders Green
- Shree
Kutch Leva Patel Samaj
- Sai
School of Harrow
- Shri
Satya Sai Service Organisation
- Sewa –
Inspire: The Women’s Network (Pinner & Hatch End branch)
- Vanza
Society
- Yogi
Divine Society