Tameside
Namaste and Jai Shree Krishna
Wow, what a year it has been; both for SPA( UK) Tameside and for me personally as I was appointed as the branch Secretary. I have been a SPA member for many years and have occasionally helped at events, so my overall involvement with SPA was minimal. However in April 2015 my wife, Mamta nominated me to become a Tameside branch committee member. This was after many months of trying to convince me to join.
Since my first committee meeting I’ ve really enjoyed being part of the Tameside team and in the 14 months as a committee member I have relished becoming an active member of the team; getting to understand the SPA organisation and working with many highly experienced individuals.
One of the highlights for me was volunteering at the Tameside Mahila Samelan, as it was an eye opener for me. The whole event was incredibly well organised from start to finish; not only on the day but from the very first planning meeting. Well done to everyone, from the committee to the volunteers and the individuals who dedicated so much time. I was proud of Tameside.
This year was very special, as Tameside held the 36th Mahila Samelan on the 17th April 2016 at QE Hall, Oldham. It was a highly successful event which resonated for weeks of praise. The hard work of Tameside was appreciated by all. Preparations started in September 2015 with our first volunteer meeting where we discussed what topics we should have. It was agreed we look at Grooming and Care in the Community under the banner of `Cry For Help’. On the day, together with entertainment and more volunteers, the whole project was presented to an audience of over 750 people.
The topics were covered in both English and Gujarati. There were guest speakers from GMP, Tameside Safeguarding and Oldham Council. Everything from car parking to technical support, breakfast and lunch serving, all the volunteers did a fantastic job. There were over a 100 volunteers that day. A big thank you from the Tameside Mahila team because we couldn’ t have done this without your help and support. Pushpaben as HQ Mahila Convenor gave her heartfelt thanks for a very successful event and to all the volunteers.
The HQ Mahilas and Tameside branch has really pulled out all the stops. They have taken up the mantle to fulfilling the responsibility and commitments of SPA( UK) at HQ level supporting the Senior Samelan, Family Fun Day, HQ Sports Day and the most memorable and rewarding, the Mahila Samelan held by Tameside.
82 vol. 41 | Prajapati Sandesh 2016