More than 90 people in Leeds – from toddlers through to senior citizens – joined the BAPS Annual Challenge on Sunday 28 April 2019.
The annual charity Challenge organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) brought together more than 3,000 enthusiastic participants from towns and cities across the UK for a fun and healthy way to raise money for various worthy causes and local charities.
The funds will go towards supporting BAPS’s multifarious educational, community and spiritual activities in Leeds serving children, youths, families and the elderly.
The 2019 Challenge will also be supporting BAPS’s national charity partner, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) – the UK’s leading charity campaigning and working to protect children from neglect, harm and abuse.
Previous national partners for BAPS and BAPS Charities have included Age UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, the Anthony Nolan Trust, Barnardo’s, Breast Cancer Care, the British Heart Foundation, Carers UK, Diabetes UK, KIDS, and Macmillan Cancer Support. Locally, the Challenge has helped St Gemma’s Hospice in recent years.
The event kicked off shortly after 12 noon from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Leeds in the presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leeds and Elaine Kaye of the NSPCC, who was very impressed with the message to serve and care for each child to in turn create a better world for everyone.
After the opening ceremony, walkers, joggers and runners moved along the 10-kilometre route along Kirkstall Road to the Kirkstall Abbey Park and back to the Mandir on Weaver Street.
One of the lead volunteers for the event, Jashan Patel, said, "The Annual Challenge is our way to support all the hard work that goes into these charities. The event was a fantastic success. We had the weather on our side and we all walked and ran together in unity. We're already looking forward to next year’s Challenge!"