Newbury market Sewa Day fundraiser to help fight Covid-19 in India

MORE than £2,000 has been raised to provide essential oxygen and medical supplies to help fight Covid in India.

On Saturday (May 22) Bharati Shakha Newbury, a branch of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK, held a SEWA UK fund raising drive at the town’s market and Newbury MP Laura Farris was among those who stopped by.

Newbury mayor Billy Drummond, deputy mayor Gary Norman and town councillors Chris Foster (Lib Dem, Wash Common) and Sarah Slack (Lib Dem, Wash Common) also visited the stall to offer their support.

Sanjeev Agarwala, the community relations representative for Sewa Day, said: “It was fantastic and very successful; it went better than our expectations.

“Our stall, filled with Indian snacks, was ready by 8am and the overwhelming response from the community kept us busy until 3.30pm.

“All the food was cooked by the Newbury Indian families with love and divinity. The weather held up very well and by 3.30pm everything was sold out.

“Apart from the volunteers from Bharati Shakha Newbury, the wider Newbury community joined this drive and contributed greatly.

“A big thanks to the Newbury Sewa Group and all the volunteers involved in making this event a huge success.

“Dhanyavaad - big thanks to all.”

After visiting the market Mrs Farris posted on Facebook: “There was something magical about Newbury Market this morning. It’s kept us going through the long lockdown winter but today it was full of life as Newbury returns to normality.

“It was an absolute pleasure to support Sewa UK - who are raising money locally to send oxygen and other support to India.

“Nationally the organisation has raised close to half a million pounds for Indian relief, and the Government has also been sending ventilators and other emergency supplies.”

In total the event raised £2,162.96.

Sewa Day works with the Dharmic principle of Sewa in mind to aid those around us and make the world a better place.

The charity has been involved in weekly collections of food items, which are donated by supermarkets in Newbury and then delivered to local charities including Loose Ends and Two Saints, throughout the pandemic.

You can still donate to the cause by visiting https://gofund.me/d30012dc or find out more about Sewa Day by visiting https://sewaday.org/