People in Nottingham – from young children through to senior citizens – joined the BAPS Annual Challenge on 28 April 2019.
The annual charity Challenge organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha 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 Nottingham 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.
The event kicked off shortly after 12.30pm from Rushcliffe Country Park. After the opening ceremony, walkers, joggers and runners moved along the picturesque route of the vast Rushcliffe Country Park.
Santokh Dhaliwal shared, “My wife and I have been coming to this event for the past several years and it a joy to participate in this noble effort to raise much needed funds for good causes both locally and nationally - this year especially NSPCC. The hospitality offered by the organisers is brilliant and to cap it all we thoroughly enjoyed the excellent selection of food items in the picnic rounding off a wonderful event.”
One of the lead volunteers for the event, Dr Meera Dal, added, “The mandir in Nottingham has been participating in this annual charity Challenge since its inception some 10 years ago and it continues to amaze us how people turn up every year to support the wonderful causes that benefit from the funds raised. Our volunteers take pride in supporting the organisation of this event and encouraging the sponsors from their localities and work places. Without their tireless efforts, this event would simply not be possible.”