Members of an Indian community centre marked a special anniversary with a dazzling celebration and a generous charitable donation.
They were marking the 40th anniversary of Shree Kadwa Patidar Samaj on Saturday, a UK-wide organisation for people originating from the Saurashtra region of India which built one of its centre’s in Kenmore Avenue, Harrow, named the Kadwa Patidar Centre.
Joint secretary of the centre Nitin Changela, 54, of Anglesmede Crescent, Pinner, said: “It was a really special day. We have about 3,000 members in the UK, and we had more than 1,000 of them there joining us to celebrate.”
The centre has been used since it was built in 1993 by the group, and also rented out by community organisations and charities for events, but after four years of fundraising, it was the chance of the members of the Kadwa Patidar Centre to show their own charitable side, handing over an £11,000 cheque to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Mr Changela said: “Over the past four years we have been doing organised walks, in Devon and elsewhere – we even took 77 of us to Belgium – and we all got sponsored and thought the night was a beautiful time to donate what we have raised to such a good cause.
“My sister died from cancer when she was 35, so since then I have been determined to do something for a good cause like Macmillan, and I was just astounded by what a special night it was.”
