Over 270 men and women came together from across Greater Manchester, the North West and the Midlands to take part in health conventions at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Manchester, on Saturday 27 September 2025, and at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Leicester, on Sunday 28 September 2025.
The conventions aimed to increase awareness of health issues for older people from a South Asian background, who often face higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, and related conditions.
The conventions formed a part of ‘BAPS wellNESS’, a pioneering holistic health initiative developed by BAPS volunteers bringing together science, spirituality, and culture to empower the community to live healthier lives through its four pillars: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress Management (NESS). The delivery in a trusted setting of a mandir aims to create accessible, practical, and culturally relevant health education to inspire healthier habits and strengthen the well-being of individuals, families, and the wider community.
The day began with a video message of inspiration from His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and a keynote address from Yogvivekdas Swami. Leading medical and healthcare professionals delivered engaging talks on heart health, diabetes, men’s and women’s health, nutrition, and mental well-being, amongst other topics. Speakers included Dr Harshil Dhutia (Consultant Cardiologist), Miss Jyoti Shah MBE (Consultant Macmillan Prostate Surgeon), Nitu Soni (Yoga Instructor and Co-founder of Sattvalife), and Prafula Shah (Chair of the Jain and Hindu Organ Donation Alliance).
Participants also joined interactive workshops on yoga, chair-based exercises, breathing techniques, stress management, and cancer awareness. The live cooking demonstration and CPR training proved especially popular, sparking enthusiastic engagement and lively discussion.
Dr Priyanka Oza, a member of the BAPS wellNESS team, reflected, “It was inspiring to see so many members of the community and charity partners come together for the conventions. It allowed people to learn and ask questions in a safe space, and engage in conversations that rarely take place, including around mental health. The energy in the room demonstrated the true power of what happens when a community learns, reflects, and grows together.”
A key highlight of the convention was the ‘Health Marketplace,’ where 20 charities and agencies came together to provide personalised guidance and practical support. From local services such as Active Tameside Ashton Primary Care Network and Be Well Tameside, to national charities including Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Bowel Cancer UK, Kidney Care UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Prostate Cancer UK, attendees had the chance to speak directly with experts about issues that matter to them and their families.
Other partners included Anmol Cancer Support Group, Carers UK, Jain and Hindu Organ Donation Alliance, National Institute for Health Research, The Menopause Charity, Social Prescribing, NHS Talking Therapies, NHS North West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance, The Ticker Club, Versus Arthritis, and local dental services.
Joining the convention in Manchester, Tameside Councillor Tafheen Sharif, First Deputy (Population Health and Wellbeing), was impressed by the breadth of agencies and professionals delivering the event and the number of attendees. In his address, Cllr Sharif said, “Thank you BAPS wellNESS for bringing together so many people for such an important subject. Let’s take our health seriously and support each other.”
Participants shared similarly positive feedback. One attendee, Naina Amin, said, “It was such an interesting and inspiring event. I enjoyed the activities. It has made me think about how I can look after my health better. It was nice that the charities I spoke to took time to listen to me and give me good advice.”
Reshma Parmar, a lead community outreach volunteer, thanked “all the medical and health professionals and the many agencies who gave their time and services to help us improve the health of the community,” before adding, “Above all, we thank Mahant Swami Maharaj; he is a spiritual leader, but he stresses the importance of looking after one’s physical and mental health, maintaining a good diet, and exercising regularly.”