More than 150 people from the Hindu community at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Leicester came together to participate in the BAPS 10K Charity Challenge on Sunday 8 June 2025.
The participants – from toddlers through to senior citizens – walked, jogged or ran 10 kilometres through the Belgrave area in a fun-filled family and community event that raised vital funds for various good causes.
The annual Charity Challenge is a nationwide effort that brings together more than 3,000 enthusiastic participants at around 20 towns and cities across the country, offering a fun and healthy way to raise money for various local and national charities.
The funds will support BAPS’s multifarious educational, community, and spiritual activities in Leicestershire, which serve children, youths, families, and the elderly.
The 2025 Challenge will also support BAPS’s national charity partner, Children With Cancer UK, which is the country’s leading childhood cancer charity aiming to help every child and young person survive cancer by funding life-saving research and supporting patients and their families through treatment and beyond.
The participants also raised funds for The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, who have helped over 25,000 people gain the confidence to save lives through CPR and defibrillator training, while raising crucial awareness about Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS).
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, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the NSPCC. Locally, in Leicestershire, the Challenge has helped LOROS, Leicester Hospitals Charity, MIND and Heart Link in recent years.
The day ended with fun games and activities for the whole family.
Yogi Majvadia, one of the participants, shared, “Hearing Joe’s story and thinking about kids my age going through cancer it hit different. Volunteering wasn’t just something to do; it made me feel like I was part of something that matters”
Founders of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, Steve and Angela Humphries, joined the participants for the walk. Steve thanked BAPS for its continuing efforts in serving the wider community, saying, “Both Angie and I were mightily impressed by the most wonderful warm reception we received from everyone at the Mandir. It was great getting to know so many kind and generous people throughout the day. It was also great to walk the distance with such inspirational young people who were keen to know about Joe’s Trust and our journey to date and look forward to your support in raising awareness of SADS to help save lives.”
Sanjiv Patel, a leading volunteer at the BAPS Hindu temple in Leicester, added, “Whether it’s sudden cardiac arrest or childhood cancer, no family should face that kind of heartbreak. These charities turn pain into action and we were proud to be a part of that. Inspired by the values of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, this was more than a fundraising event it was an act of love, unity, and purposeful service”