A JOURNEY to a foreign country can be filled with feelings of excitement and trepidation.

To manage the transition, families migrating from India to London in the 1960s set up a social network to help one another settle into their new homes.

Today, the Leuva Patidar Samaj of London, which has more than 100 members in Ealing, strives to ensure its cultural heritage is not forgotten by its third generation British children.

The charity was set up about 40 years ago by families originating from villages in the Surat, Valsad and Balsar districts of the state of Gujarat on India’s west coast.

Vandana Patel, 48, of Leighton Road, West Ealing, nominated the group in the Barclays Ealing Gazette Let’s Do It awards for promoting key family values.

The mother of one said: “Initially it was about helping each other with the integration.

“Now, with second and third generations, it’s really important to know what it is to be Indian but staying and working in England.

“It’s about having that identity. We all know what it’s like to be British Asians living here in the UK, our children need to know what it means to be Indian as well.

“In the electronic age, no one talks to each other face to face, families don’t go out together but we get the old and young together and talk to each other.”

The Hammersmith-based charity hosts three events every year to unite the 458 families scattered across London – at Christmas, Diwali and a summer sports day at Harrow Rugby Club.

A percentage of their yearly fundraising is sent back home to support the Bardoli Community School in Navsari, where it has helped build a new roof and children’s toilets.

Mrs Patel said the £1,000 prize money would go towards a careers fair she is hoping to set up in the summer to help their youngsters enter the world of work.