Mr Maganbhai P Patel OBE is currently the President of the Gujarat Hindu Association and the Leicester Hindu Festival Council, an umbrella organisation with 40 affiliated organisations. He is regarded as one of Leicester's most respected community leaders. He was born in India but moved to East Africa in 1954. He worked there as an accountant in 1970. He celebrates his 80th birthday this month.
Maganbhai moved to Leicester in 1970. He is multi-lingual speaking five language. His vast knowledge and skills have been acquired over the years through his involvement with various organisations throughout the United Kingdom as a President of many local organisations, Director and Vice-Chair of Voluntary Action Leicester, Founder, Trustee of the Hindu Temple Leicester, LEA Governor of Rushey Mead and Wyvern Primary Schools, Chairman of the Leicester Rajkot Twinning Association and the Belgrave Association and as a qualified accountant.
1) What is your current position?
I am currently the President of the Gujarat Hindu Association, the Leicester Hindu Festival Council, Karod Kiran Arts and Satsang Parivar. I am also a Trustee of the Shree Mandhata Samaj Shayak Mandal in Leicester.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
One of my proudest achievements was receiving an OBE in 2006. I was also presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2008 by the Shree Mandhata Samaj Shayak Mandal in Leicester. I also won the S.A.C.P. Community Award in June 2009.
3) What inspires you?
I am inspired by helping other communities, supporting my team and the local authorities in Leicester. I also enjoy helping members of the community to achieve a better and healthier life.
4) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
I have been the biggest influence and motivation to myself.
5) What is the best aspect of your current role?
As President of the Gujarat Hindu Association the best aspect of my role is guiding my team and local communities in the right direction.
6) And the worst?
There isn’t a bad aspect to what I do. I enjoy and honour my role. I love meeting members of the local community and listening to their views. People have been my inspiration.
7) What are your long term goals?
I would love to expand the Gujarat Hindu Association to every town and city across the United Kingdom. It has been the centrepiece of the life of the community in Leicester. There have been few organisations that have their own premises but we have and that is because it is so well respected.
8) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I would change how the benefit system is funded and how our economy works. It is so important that governments secure the conditions to create jobs. Jobs for their people that should be a big priority for any government.
9) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
I would spend my time with the father of my home nation Mahatma Gandhi because this moral leader was able to achieve the impossible in 1947. It would be a learning curve for anyone to be marooned with him on a desert island.
