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Balwant Grewal- chairman, India Association, UK- 'charity walk'

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NGO “SEARCH Society” Benefits Rs1 lakh From NRI Run Charity “India Association”

Ludhiana, March 05, 2012
J. Khangura

Famous NRI walker Bobby Grewal today donated Rs1 lakh from the UK Registered Charity “India Association”  of which he is Chairman, to the Pune based SEARCH Society in a presentation to Director, Rev Subhash M Chandorikar.  Jassi Khangura, MLA, hosted a get together to commend Mr Grewal’s work with India Society and Rev Chandorikar’s work with minority groups.  Jassi said “I find Bobby’s walking and fundraising truly inspirational and dedicated.  The work of the India Association has benefitted many research charities worldwide and smaller organisations.  I’m delighted they are supporting the valuable work of Reverend Chandorikar’s SEARCH Society with eunuchs.

Mr Bobby Grewal said “I had the pleasure to be introduced to the work of SEARCH and the Reverend Chandorikar when walking from Amritsar to Kanyakumari some years ago.  In fact, Rev Chandorikar also joined me for the last 100km of that walk from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari and we have been in touch since that time.”  Mr Grewal continued “The India Association has donated this Rs1 lakh specifically to support SEARCH Society’s work with eunuchs.”

The Reverend Subhash Chandorikar, Director and founder of SEARCH society said “We have worked with many minorities and issues over the years.  Currently we have a large project working with eunuchs, tackling issues both within their own community and beyond.  We are working to change perceptions and rights for these minority individuals and this donation from India Association will help us in our work.”  Rev Chandorikar said “SEARCH stands for Social and Environmental Assistance for Rural and City Happiness” and that is our objective.  We seek to remain issues based and really appreciate when people such as Mr Grewal believe in our work and wish to support it.”

Mr Bobby Grewal is well known within the NRI community and in India for his charitable fundraising walks.  Commenting on his inspiration he said “I was always a keen sportsman, and now I wish to do the things I didn’t when I was young and to benefit the community whilst doing so.  I have walked around 3,000 miles so far (about 4,800km) and have no plans to stop.  My next walk could well be from Kanyakumari back to Amritsar via the eastern route, since I walked via the west route before.
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UK NRI Balwant Grewal honoured on 61st Independence Celebration- for raising 250,000 pounds

London, Aug. 19, 2008
Ashok Mehta

NRI Balwant Grewal, 70, known as Bobby, raised 250,000 pounds for charity through his marathon 800-km walk from Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to the Houses of Parliament in London.

On Monday night, he was honoured by Mark Price, Director Barclays Commercial, at the Joint Celebration of the 61st Independence days of India and Pakistan organised by the 'Pakistan India and UK Friendship Forum' at the SAS Radisson Hotel.

Other recipients were also honoured:

  • Mohammad Sarwar, UK's first Muslim MP
  • Muniza Bashir, mother of late melody Queen, Nazia Hassan.
  • Mrs Adeeba Malik- fighting for ethnic rights
  • David Wardrop of Westminster Branch of the United Nations Association.

Grewal wrote:

  • Sikhs are asked to give 10% of their earnings to charity. I was born in a Sikh family, so I was taught the values of Sikhism by my parents.
  • Sikhism is a relatively new faith. Our first prophet (guru) was Guru Nanak who came into this world in 1469, followed by nine others.
  • Many of us believe in God, and I am one of them. But we have different ways, different languages to practice the presence of God and we all believe in one God.

In Sikhism we are asked to offer 10% of our earnings towards charitable causes, to the needy and to unfortunate fellow beings.

British Home Minister, Tony McNulty honours Grewal marathon walker
NRI, Grewal announced 800 km 'charity walk' to raise 1 million pounds
 (Walk from Scotland to London)

London, April 28, 2008
Ashok Mehta

UK NRI, Balwant Grewal, 70, Chairman of the India Association of London who announced marathon 800 kilometre walk from Edinburgh to Parliament House in London to raise a million pounds for charity, was honoured by British Home Office Minister Tony McNulty.

NRI entrepreneur Rami Ranger organized a Baisakhi gala celebration on Saturday night, where other NRIs were also honoured- Teji Singh, founder of Sterling Media; Fauja Singh, 93 marathon runner; Ashraf Chohan, secretary general of the Pakistan India UK Friendship Forum and a former police officer Ravi Chand- president of the National Black Police Association.

McNulty praised Sikhism and other religions for spreading love and universal brotherhood and said:

  • Values that unite us is greater than that divide us. We must not be tempted to look backward but look forward. We can either perish in hate or prosper in love
  • NRIs, particularly Sikhs has made the massive contribution in UK

Virendra Sharma, Labour MP, Lord Mohamed Iltaf Sheikh, Patron of British Sikh Association, Sukhbir Singh Kapoor, Vice Chair, World Sikh Organisation and Councillor Paramjit Gill, were also participate in this event


NRI, Grewal announced 800 km 'charity walk' to raise 1 million pounds
 (Walk from Scotland to London)

 

London, April 21, 2008
Ashok Mehta

UK NRI, Balwant Grewal, 70, Chairman of the India Association of London is to undertake a marathon 800 kilometre walk from Edinburgh to Parliament House in London to raise a million pounds for charity.

For research in bowel cancer and other bowel diseases for St Mark's Hospital in Harrow, five week walk will be started in June.

British politician and barrister- MP Dominic Grieve, who was also a guest at the dinner, said- he would join the marathoner for at least two days during the charity walk.

Dominic contested the seat of Lambeth Norwood in 1987. He was a member of the Prime Minister's Campaign Team in 1992 and a Councillor in Hammersmith and Fulham from 1982-86. Dominic is Chair of the Research Committee, Society of Conservative Lawyers and has been a member of the London Diocesan Synod of the Church of England since 1994. He was elected Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield in May 1997.

In July 1997 he was appointed to three Conservative Parliamentary Committees - Constitutional Affairs, Legal and Northern Ireland. In September 2001, he was appointed as a Frontbench Spokesman for Home Affairs. In November 2003, he became Shadow Attorney General.


NRI Grewal, ‘Charity Walk’ donated £100,000 to AIDS and Cancer research

London, August 27, 2007
Ashok Mehta

UK NRI, Balwant Grewal, 69, chairman of India Association of London has donated £100,000 to two British Institutions engaged in AIDS and Cancer research.

Last year he raised the funds through a marathon 4,096 km ‘Charity Walk’ in India. He presented a cheque each for £50,000 to:

  • Professor Colin Green, Professor of Surgical Science from the University College, London
  • Dr Moses Kepembwa, Consultant Physician HIV, at St Marks Institute

On Saturday night at Gala Dinner, the cheques were presented. His wife Harjit Grewal was also honored there. He told media that he would go for another walk from October 10:

  • From Edinburgh Parliament in Scotland to Westminster Parliament in London and raised funds would be donated to the Bowel Cancer research at St Marks Institute, Harrow.

Lord Mohammad Sheikh, Veerendra Sharma, newly-elected NRI Labour MP, Dr Rami Ranger, MBE chairman of the event and Gitesh Sharma, Minister, India House were present there

Punjab dancers and Deepali Wattal singer participated to entertain the audience. The celebration was attended by Jassi Khangura, Punjab congress MLA, K D Row, Chief of Air India, UK, GS Gujral, CBE, chief of the International Punjabi Society.

In 2004, Grewal has undertaken a ‘great charity’ walk with a mission to raise 1 million pounds for cancer and AIDS. He was so happy that he succeeded his mission

NRI, Grewal announced 'charity walk' in UK, Africa or Canada

London, May 07, 2006
Raman Chaudhry

NRI Balwant Singh Grewal, (known as Bobby Grewal), president of the UK-based India Association at the annual 'Vaisakhi' celebration announced that he would undertake a marathon 'charity walk' from Scotland to the southern part of England in August, 2006.

Annual 'Vaisakhi' celebration was attended by Darshan Grewal, Mayor of Hounslow, John McDonald, Labour MP, Dominique Grieves, MP and NRI industrialist Rami Ranger.

Next year, he will start another walk from Morocco to Egypt to raise funds for Cancer and AIDS research. If the Africa walk does not finalize then he would go from Toronto to Vancouver.

Mr. Grewal plans to undertake two more such walks in the UK and Africa to raise funds for various charities in Britain.

  • In 2001, he had successfully participated in the London Marathon
  • In November 15, 2004- April 13, 2005, he undertook the marathon walk from Amritsar to Kanyakumari by covering 4,096 kilometers from Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and raised 70,000 pounds for charity purposes.

UK NRI completed charity walk for AIDS and cancer
Raised 160,000 pounds from Britain and Rs.2 million in India.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, April 10 2005

British NRI Balwant Singh Grewal will Wednesday complete his 4,100-km charity walk for AIDS, cancer and tsunami at the southern-most point in India.

"The Great Charity Walk" that was started by Grewal Nov 16 last year in Amritsar will have covered nine Indian states when he walks the last 90 km to reach Kanyakumari.

The proceeds from the venture will go for AIDS and cancer research in India and Britain and the rehabilitation of victims of the Dec 26 tsunami, Grewal told reporters during his brief stopover here.

"I had aimed to collect one million pounds. But now I am certain that figure is not going to be achieved," said Grewal, who has lived in Britain for the past 45 years and is chairman of the London-based India Association.

He has, however, managed to raise 160,000 pounds from Britain and Rs.2 million in India.

"Of this, it has been decided to set aside 40,000 pounds for tsunami relief. The rest will be for research in AIDS and cancer. A portion will be given to a centre in India selected on the recommendation of the health ministry," Grewal said.

The walk was organised by the India Association. Grewal walked an average of 35 to 40 km a day.

And as he crossed the length of the country, what struck him the most?

"I am surprised that none of the south Indian states through which I walked spoke the national language. I was amused," Grewal remarked (IANS)

UK, NRI, walk with a mission to raise 1 million pounds for cancer and AIDS


Chandigarh, November 28, 2004
Express News Service

In pursuit of a noble cause, an NRI has taken up the task of spreading awareness about cancer and HIV/AIDS among people here. B.S. Grewal was born in Ludhiana and left India in 1958 to settle in UK.

He has undertaken a ‘great charity’ walk from Amritsar to Kanyakumari in pursuit of his goal. Presently in Chandigarh after he started out on November 16 from Amritsar, his next stop will be the capital city, Delhi.

Chairman of India Association, a UK-registered charity organisation, Grewal said he wants to raise 1 million pounds for cancer and AIDS-related research. “Money raised in India will be spent on research for cancer and HIV/AIDS treatment,’’ said Grewal.

Grewal was inspired by a story he read on a plane journey about a girl who walked from South Africa to Morocco. He was also disturbed by the death of his friend Peter and the low level of awareness in India about the disease.

Grewal wants the media to step in and tell the people about his walk.‘‘I want the media to spread the message of my walk which would, in turn, help in spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS,’’ he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Balwant Grewal- chairman, India Association, UK- 'charity walk'

  • Grewal, 70, was inspired by a story he read on a plane journey about a girl who walked from South Africa to Morocco
  • Balwant Singh Grewal, fondly known as Bobby,
  • He was born in Punjab has been living in the UK since 1958
  • He is chairman of the India Association of London


British politician and barriste- MP Dominic Grieve also a guest at the dinner, said- he would join the marathoner for at least two days during the charity walk.