Guildford Nepalese Community’s Double Celebration

Published on: 18 May, 2019
Updated on: 18 May, 2019

Members of Guildford’s Nepalese community have celebrated the 10th anniversary of the association that represents it along with their Nepali new year.

The president of the Guildford Nepalese Community association, Madhabraj Uprety, and former chairmen Deokaji Gurung and Navaraj Ghale, cut a cake to celebrate its 10th anniversary..

Nanda Lem Gurung, a key member of the Guildford Nepalese Community (GNC) association, explained that the date of the celebration had to be put back from its usual one in April: He said: “It has become customary for Nepalese people living in and around Guildford to observe our Nepali new year that falls in the proceeding weekends of Easter.

“But the circumstance seemed to turn against us as our former president, Sham Lem-Gurung, now patron of the GNC and other prominent members happened to be out of the UK during Easter this year.

“Therefore, the date was postponed until May 4. As a result the turnout was low and what was supposed to be a big celebration turned out to be a low-key one, missing a number of our community’s local friends and families.”

The 10th anniversary cake of the Guildford Nepalese Community.

Nanda adds that the GNC has achieved many milestones in its 10-year journey. It is a community whose members come from the wider spectrums of ethnicity, culture and geographical regions of Nepal.

He said: “Those diehard individuals and unsung heroes of our community including Navaraj Ghale, Prem Ghale, Deukaji Gurung, Kul Bahadur Gurung, Sundar Gurung, and many more, have helped scattered Nepali families in the Guildford area.

“The present members of GNC are thankful to them and are committed to carry forward their legacies.

“The most remembered and exceptional event hosted by GNC is, and always will be, the one in 2015 when Shamser Lem-Gurung, the then president of GNC, helped to raise tens of thousands of pounds donated by Nepalese individuals, families and bystanders of Guildford and Farnham in support of earthquake victims of Nepal.

“This was an overwhelming gesture of support shown by local people who rose to help those in destitution many miles away in Nepal.

“GNC is proud to be an integral part of mainstream British society. It aims to be actively involved in charity events, community meet ups and in the daily life of local community in and around Guildford.”

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