HRH the Prince of Wales hosted a special dinner at St James’s Palace on 16 February to celebrate the progress of The British Asian Trust.
His Royal Highness used the occasion to thank celebrity ambassadors, patrons, corporate partners, friends and supporters of The Trust, which invests in charities making the greatest impact on poverty in South Asia and the UK.
In attendance were British Asian Ambassadors including comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar, BBC Radio 1 DJ Nihal, music producer Rishi Rich, TV presenter Saira Khan, and cricket star Isa Guha. Corporate supporters representing Barclay’s Wealth, HSBC, John Lewis, Deutsche Bank and AG Barr, among others were also on hand.
The Prince told guests that in just 26 months, The British Asian Trust has reached out to more than 350,000 disadvantaged people across South Asia and the UK. “By supporting carefully selected projects, often with small sums of financial assistance, we have shown how we can utterly transform the live of those in need, creating lasting change,” said His Royal Highness. “Working through, and in partnership with charitable organisations on the ground, we are able to empower local communities by offering innovative and practical solutions to social and economic problems, enabling those communities to move towards self-sufficiency,” he said. Read The Prince’s full speech here.
Acclaimed Michelin star chef and Trust Ambassador Sriram Aylur of London’s Quilon restaurant delighted guests with his award-winning southwest coastal Indian cuisine. “I am proud of Quilon’s partnership and look forward to further opportunities to support The British Asian Trust’s aims,” he said. Chairman Manoj Badale added his thanks for role guests at the dinner have played in the success of The British Asian Trust. “It is exciting to know the difference that each one of us can make in bringing about real and lasting change to South Asia and the UK,” he said.
