B R ANCH REPORT
Walsall
“It was evident that
to preserve our cultural
identity, Hindu
communities needed to
assemble nationwide.
In 1975, our Samaj
was born.”
Namaste and Welcom e to Shree Pr a japati
Association Wal sall .
To reflect upon these last 12 months and conclude that not a lot has actually
happened would be wrong. It would be very wrong. But then again, when
do we, as a local branch, but also we, as part of a nationwide organisation,
ever have a quiet, low-key and subdued year? The events throughout
calendar year for SPA Walsall have once again shown what a big part of
our lives community work is and how working together really brings us that
sense of comfort and belonging that we endeavour to achieve. When we
reflect on these last 12 months, it is this feeling of togetherness and unity
that notably shines through.
Of course, this sense of belonging – community – had to start from
somewhere. The journey started back in the 60s where civil unrest and the
actions of the British Raj led to our forefathers fleeing the African continent
and entering England as refugees. It was a fresh new start, where our
forefathers united in the face of adversity. It was evident that to preserve
our cultural identity, Hindu communities needed to assemble nationwide. In
1975, our Samaj was born.
This year, 2015, marked the 40th Anniversary of Shree Prajapati Association.
Each branch has celebrated, doing their own thing to remember this
momentous occasion. Here at Walsall, it was no exception. We had a great
turnout and guests were treated to live music (with their chance to listen
to their favourite songs from the last 40 years), professional photography
and of course, delicious food. There were also games and a raffle. One game
in particular was very enjoyable. Our guests were split into teams and were
asked to compare the pri ces of common items today, such as a computer,
to prices in 1975. All in all, the event was a hit! Thank you to everyone who
helped out in preparation of that day and to those who attended.
As usual, we held our Samaj Christmas Party in December. We are very
proud of the number of young families we have. Each year, they come
along with their children and each year they leave having enjoyed a fun day
with great food, games and of course a visit from Santa! From a financial
perspective, it was the first time we broke even for this event and we hope
this success can continue for future events.
Above: Shradh Bhajans
76
Our annual Sports Day was held in Rugby this year. It was interesting to
note that the first SPA (UK) Sports Day was held in this town, in 1977. An
appearance from the Rugby MP was a nice touch and we are sure he had
a great day witnessing our competitors in action. Although participation
levels are down, not only within Walsall branch but nationwide too, we
managed to win trophies – and in most of the activities too. In pool, Bhavin
Mistry was the winner in the juniors section and Rakeshbhai Mistry came
runner-up in the Men’s division. There were also runners-up awards for the