On Friday 17th April 2015, the India Association celebrated its annual Vaisakhi dinner and dance at the recently refurbished Ramada Centre, South Ruislip. There was a turnout of over 250 guests who raised an astounding £10,000 towards Bobby's Walk Full Circle.
The India Association was founded over 25 years ago and was registered as a UK charity in 2002. Its mission is to “provide relief from poverty, sickness and distress to those in need, in the UK and abroad” and they do this by supporting other charities and causes across the globe. Since 2001, the charity has donated over £300,000 to causes.
The Bobby's Walk Full Circle is a 2,600 mile charity trek across India starting in late October 2015, that will see India Association Chairman, Bobby Grewal, walk from Kanyakumari (on the Southern tip of India) up the east coast, through seven states, via Chennai and Kolkata to Delhi, where he is due to finish the walk in late March 2016. The amazing point to note is that Grewal completed his 2,556 mile India west coast India walk in 2005.
Bobby Grewal will embark on the five-month walk with the aim of raising £1.5 million. All money raised will be distributed Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and the British Asian Trust in the UK. Money raised in India will be donated to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund and other identified charities in the seven states he will be walking through.
At the Vaisakhi dinner and dance event, Bobby Grewal stated, “As a charity, we rely on the generosity of individuals like you to support Bobby’s Walk Full Circle and to help us continue our vital work around the globe.”
There were many distinguished guests at the event, such as Rt Hon Virendra Sharma MP for Ealing Southall; Manjit Lit; Darshan Grewal; C.B. Patel, editor/publisher of Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar, together with elite members of our community.
Virendra Sharma thought Grewal was inspirational and had only encouragement for his trek. “I am still astounded by the fact that 80 year old chairman of the India Association, Bobby Grewal, will undertake the extraordinary mental and physical challenge of walking 2,600 from Kanyakumari to Delhi for charity starting in October this year.”
Everyone was asked to spread the message of Bobby’s Walk Full Circle through their families, friends, acquaintances and social media.
