More than £70,000 has been raised for St Luke’s Hospice in Kenton thanks to a major fundraising effort by members of the local Asian community.
Representatives from the Asian Foundation for Help, Lions Club of Kingsbury, and Pranasha visited the hospice this week to hand over a cheque for £70,300, raised at a community event held earlier this year in South Harrow.
The funds will go towards providing specialist end-of-life care for people living in Harrow and Brent. Hospice staff and trustees welcomed the groups and thanked them for their continued support.
The Asian Foundation has previously supported the hospice by helping fund syringe drivers, vital pieces of equipment used every day to manage patients’ symptoms at home and in the hospice.
The fundraiser took place on 22 March at the Dhamecha Lohana Centre in South Harrow. It included a daytime programme featuring the Hanuman Chalisa led by Sneha Makanji & Group, followed by Thal Aarti and Maha Prashad. Over 400 guests attended the evening event, which featured a buffet dinner and a live Bollywood music performance by Dr. Supriya Joshi, joined by musicians from the UK and India.
Lindsey Bennister, Chief Executive at St Luke’s Hospice, said: “Raising over £70,000 in one day is an incredible achievement. We are so grateful to the Asian Foundation for Help, Lions Club of Kingsbury and Pranasha for their generosity and commitment. These funds are already being put to use – refurbishing our physiotherapy room and improving spaces where patients and families spend time.”
Guests at the cheque presentation, including St Luke’s Patron Lord Popat, were also given a tour of the hospice to see how their support is making a difference to patients and their families.
Ketan Mehta, speaking on behalf of the Asian Foundation, said: “It’s an honour to support St Luke’s. The event brought together our community to raise both vital funds and awareness for such an important cause. We’re proud of what we achieved and look forward to working together again.”
The Asian Foundation for Help was founded in 1983 and supports global causes including education projects in India and promoting Gujarati cultural heritage. In the UK, the group has also donated essential equipment to several NHS hospitals.
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