News

Local Gurkha Culture Day held at Shorncliffe Garrison, organised by SSAFA, the Armed Forced Charity

On July 19th, Shorncliffe Garrison in Folkstone played host to a Gurkha Culture Day, designed to break down misconceptions and create a friendly environment to learn about this vital part of our Armed Forces. The day included a myth-busting session, insight into the process of becoming a Gurkha, what it’s like to be a Gurkha wife, how a Gurkha veteran finds life in the UK and what’s going on in the Gurkha community locally.

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New Gurkha Services team up and running

The new team managing the Gurkha Services project at SSAFA is now in place. The initiative is funded by money from the Libor banking fines. Their aim is to work with all SSAFA local branches and divisions, where there is a Gurkha community, to share best practice and useful information and provide relevant training – ultimately to improve the provisions in place for Gurkhas and their families.

More information: According to the Gurkha Welfare Trust, there are an estimated 12,794 retired Gurkha’s settled in the UK with their families. Our experience shows that Gurkha veterans have complex needs, including many who are elderly and infirm with low literacy levels.

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The medal that saved my life

Tulsidevi Danai holds up a battered medal bearing the likeness of King George VI. To her, it is the difference between life and death.

“This is my evidence for getting my Welfare Pension [from The Gurkha Welfare Trust],” she explains. Her husband, Rifleman Bakhansing Khatri, earned it for his service during the Second World War, fighting in the jungles of Burma.

“It was hard for them,” she says. “They didn’t have enough supplies. When he used to fill his water bottle in the jungle it was dirty and full of leeches. But they had no choice but to drink it.

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Gurkha Radio BFBS nominated for Audio and Radio Industry Award

The Radio Academy Trustees have shortlisted Gurkha Radio BFBS in the Team of the Year category for the 2017 Audio & Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS).

The 40-strong team broadcasts in the Nepali language from studios in Nepal, Brunei and Kent and the channel plays a key role in supporting the British Army’s Brigade of Gurkhas.

Lisa Davis, Managing Editor of Gurkha Radio BFBS, said: “The Gurkha Radio team is delighted to be nominated in recognition for their hard work and dedication to their audience.

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A blast from the past: Gurkha veteran’s new photo

Corporal Gunga Gurung, veteran of the Borneo and Malaya conflicts, has a new photo to hang in the earthquake-resistant home we’ve built for him. Corporal Gunga Gurung, veteran of the Borneo and Malaya conflicts, has a new photo to hang in the earthquake-resistant home we’ve built for him.

After Gunga and his brother Kul featured in our recent article, one of our supporters recognised him from his time in the Army. The British Officer had served with Gunga in Malaya in the late 1960s and was kind enough to share their platoon’s group photo with us.

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Helping hand for a loyal friend

Gyan Bahadur Sunuwar spent 14 dedicated years working in support of Gurkha veterans and their communities. When disaster struck his own family, we were there to ensure he didn’t face it alone. Gyan started working for us in 1993. At the time, we ran a Welfare Centre on the hill next to his home village and Gyan was pleased to get a job there at the age of 31. Only a few years later, civil war broke out in Nepal and conflict in the hills was the backdrop for the next decade of our work.

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New medical clinic to serve Gurkha community

The Gurkha Welfare Trust offers a high standard of free medical care in Nepal. We deliver this through our 21 offices across the country, our dedicated mobile medical team and by paying for treatment at trusted hospitals.

The world-class facilities at the new Pokhara clinic form the latest step in our ongoing efforts to provide the highest possible standard of care for Gurkhas veterans and their families. In Pokhara alone, we see an average of 27 patients each day.

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Afghanistan support

In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here