The Coronation of the King and Queen will be a historic occasion. We have not had such an event for 70 years. Faith communities can be part of leaving an enduring and exciting legacy by encouraging even more volunteering. New polling in the build-up to the coronation has found that the King’s positive ratings are rising, with 62 per cent believing that Charles will be good for the monarchy. The British Asian community is marking this historic moment and celebrating with the King and his family in their own unique ways. The Anoopam Mission is celebrating the coronation of King Charles III through their Bake-off competition – Bake an Eggless cake or treats. The mission is hosting a tea party serving a selection of vegetarian refreshments on Sunday 7th May 2023 from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm at Western Avenue, Denham, Uxbridge, UB9 4NA. While some will be virtually joining the big day from India, British Indians have big plans, including The Big Help Out weekend to rejoice in the King’s coronation. Thorrun Govind, Pharmacist and Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England told Asian Voice that she will be working over the Coronation weekend, helping look after patients - as a pharmacist. “I will be looking forward to catching up on the Coronation and hope I can one day meet King Charles again!” she said.
The first processions into Westminster Abbey will be made up of Faith Leaders and Faith Representatives followed shortly afterwards by representatives from His Majesty’s Realms. Flags of each Realm will be carried by national representatives accompanied by the Governors-General and Prime Ministers. Bearing the Flag of the United Kingdom ahead of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mrs Akshata Murty will be Cadet Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee. The King will appear on the balcony after he has been crowned. The Queen Consort - who will be known simply as Queen Camilla after the crowning ceremony - and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children are likely to join him. The exclusive polling by YouGov for The Times comes as Buckingham Palace confirmed that the congregation of more than 2,200 people for the coronation at Westminster Abbey would include representatives from 203 countries, including about 100 heads of state alongside charity and community champions.
The Big Help Out
The Big Help Out, which has been announced by the Palace as part of the Coronation festivities, is a huge public engagement campaign to promote, champion and showcase volunteering on Monday 8 May. Organised by the Together coalition, partners include some of the biggest charities in the UK including NCVO, Royal Voluntary Service, Scouts, Girl Guiding, NSPCC and many others.
The weekend is not just about the Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, important as that is, but also gives us the opportunity for everyone to be active citizens and come together as a nation. Hindu and other faith communities already play an outsized role in the country’s volunteering efforts and are set to be a pivotal part of the Big Help Out.
This campaign is so important because, ultimately, volunteering has a triple benefit. It’s positive for the charities and beneficiaries who receive the support. Many of the 168,000 charities in England and Wales are heavily dependent on volunteers. It’s also good for the volunteers themselves. Research repeatedly shows that there are health and social benefits to giving your time to help others. In a recent survey carried out by the NCVO, 77% of volunteers reported that volunteering improved their mental health and well-being, while 53% saw benefits to their physical health. Significantly, 77% of people aged 18-24 also said that volunteering made them feel less isolated.
The event at the Passage in April brought together religious and community leaders from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist communities. This was
accompanied by statements of support from over 30 religious leaders from all over the UK.
When it comes to Big Help Out’s objective is to promote volunteering, where many faith communities wish to be involved. First, Hindu and other faith traditions promote, in their scriptures, kindness and service to others, which is the concept of SEWA. Secondly, there is ample evidence to show that faith communities volunteer at higher rates compared to the rest of the population. Churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras, temples and other places of worship act as hubs for volunteering.
For all these reasons, faith organisations look set to play a significant role in The Big Help Out. The Hindu community is organising various events such as Sewa Day are doing Soup/Sewa kitchens in various cities. BAPS Charities and NSPCC are working together on the "Listen Up Speak Up" online training that NSPCC are offering as part of the Big Help Out. They will also organise Health Screening for the community, offered by BAPS Volunteers.
Senior faith leaders support Big Help Out
Senior faith and belief leaders in Britain have voiced strong support for the Big Help Out and urged their communities to take part in volunteering activities during Coronation Bank Holiday on 8 May. Some of the faith and community leaders who have voiced support for Big Help Out are Rajnish Kashyap, General Secretary, of Hindu Council UK, Trupti Patel, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain, The Lord Singh of Wimbledon CBE, Director at Network of Sikh Organisations, Jasvir Singh CBE, Chair of City Sikhs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom and Professor Ajay Shah, Chair of Trustees of the Jain Network.
Faith Communities across the UK unite in support of the Big Help Out
Faith communities across Britain are coming together to organise volunteering initiatives on Coronation Bank Holiday Monday 8 May as part of the Big Help Out. This comes as leaders from UK faith communities (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Bahá’í, Jain, Zoroastrian) have signed an open letter in support of the campaign and called for their communities to take part in the Big Help Out.
The open letter in support of the Big Help Out pays tribute to His Majesty the King’s lifetime of public service stating: Free health screening checks for the community led by volunteers from BAPS Charities. The clean up of the area surrounding the bowling green at a local Bowling & Croquet Club and spruce up of the clubhouse led by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Volunteers in Barnet.
The serving of 300+ hot meals, tea and coffee, non-perishables and provisions to the homeless community and anyone in need in London by NishkamSWAT. Food preparation and delivery to those in need led by the Sikh Charity Feed My City Manchester. The cooking and packaging of hundreds of hot meals to be distributed to the homeless in London led by Central Gurdwara London. A gardening project and mural painting on the wall of an electricity power station led by the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum.
British Indians invited to attend the Coronation ceremony
In addition, 400 young people representing charitable organisations, nominated by The King and The Queen Consort and the UK Government, will have the opportunity to watch the Coronation Service and Procession from St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Young poet, the Bengali girl from Birmingham Iona Mandal, is one of the invitees at St Margaret’s Church, who received her invitation through the National Literacy Trust, after being nominated for the Coronation Champion Award by the Trust.
Meena Upadhyaya OBE PhD FRCPath FLSW is an Emerita Professor of Medical Genetics at Cardiff University, an honorary Professor of Practice at the UWTDS, an honorary Professor of Genetics at Kochi, India, a visiting Professor at Ganga Ram Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research in Delhi and an international advisor for the organisation of rare diseases, India.
She has made substantial contributions to the molecular understanding of genetic conditions, including Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and published over 200 papers, 26 book chapters and co-edited five books.
She sits on the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) Regional Wales Council, the EDI network of RCPath, European Neurofibromatosis (NF) Group. She is a trustee and member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nerve Tumours, UK, and a non-executive director of the Welsh Government Civil Service Board. She has also contributed to the All Wales COVID-19 Workforce Risk Assessment Tool. She was awarded the Inspire Wales, the NF European Prize, and Saint David Award.
She is a trustee for REF, RCC, Monumental Welsh Women and Purple Plaques. Meena was a mentor for Women in Public Life, Wen Wales, EYST and Welsh government. As a founder and chairperson of the EMWWAA and EMWWH, Meena is passionate about promoting equality, diversity, inclusion, community cohesion, and integration; and recently co-edited Seventy Years of Struggle and Achievement- life stories of ethnic minority women in Wales, published by Parthian.
Harilal Narandas Patel BEM, of Cardiff, has been invited to the Coronation of their Majesties King Charles lll and Queen Camilla at the Church of Westminster on the 6th day of May 2023.
Harilal has served his community as a volunteer since he arrived as a Ugandan Refugee in 1972. He is a Trustee and a founder member of Sanatan Dharma Mandal & Hindu Community Centre (SDM & HCC), since 1984, giving voluntary services to the community. He raised the profile of the organization and integrated it into the Welsh Society.
Harilal was born in Uganda. At the age of 3, he lost his father. At 12 years old he had to balance school and work to support his family. He got married in 1970 and came to the UK in 1972, penniless.
Arriving in the UK he went to a camp in Yeovil. In search of a job, he moved to Cardiff and worked in a petrol station, eventually managing and owning some of the sites. He employed staff from all backgrounds including drug addicts and ex-offenders with the aim of changing their lives for the better. He also trained people, helping them get various jobs in the process.
He was also a prominent member of the business community, providing guidance to budding entrepreneurs and starting a business club. He was a chairman of the BP Retailers Club with his expertise earned him BP holidays in many countries.
In 2021, Harilal was recognised with the award of a British Empire Medal for the Services to Community Cohesion in Cardiff in the New Year Honours list.
Receiving this honour, Harilal said, “Success is never a one-man show, but is the efforts and sacrifices of so many behind the scenes. I would therefore like to thank my family members, friends and volunteers for their unconditional support. In particular, I am very grateful to my late mother who instilled good qualities in me. I'm not convinced that I've done anything to deserve such an accolade but it does reflect the kindness and generosity of the people I'm surrounded by. In this, I feel truly blessed and am proud to serve the community at large.”
Focus on Anglo-Indian cuisine at the UK's oldest Indian restaurant
The coronation ceremony has shifted focus to the historic milestone of Anglo-Indian cuisine at the UK's oldest Indian restaurant. According to PTI, Veeraswamy, dating back to 1926, is located in the heart of London and has this month been spotlighting the culinary interaction between Britain and India that has shaped UK gastronomy against the backdrop of the Coronation on May 6.
Entrepreneur Camellia Panjabi and Indian culinary historian and author Anoothi Vishal are exploring the royal antecedents of Indian food in Britain that date back to King Charles' ancestor Queen Victoria in the 19th century. King Charles III’s royal dish has been named a "Coronation Quiche" for the Coronation Big Lunch street picnic party element of the celebratory weekend.
The congregation at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of their majesties the king and the queen consort
The Coronation Service of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey will be attended by a congregation of more than 2,200 people. Guests attending will include Members of the Royal Family, as well as international representatives from 203 countries, including approximately 100 Heads of State, alongside community and charity champions.
One of the patronage attendees will be Sourabh Phadke from Mumbai, who is a graduate of both The Prince’s Foundation’s Building Craft Programme and The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts. He was part of the cohort of students who completed the “live build” of the summerhouse at the heart of Hillsborough Castle’s walled garden in 2018-19. Before arriving to study at Dumfries House, Sourabh, now 37, led a nomadic existence, moving from one community to another to lead education in science and social studies and using his architecture degree and skills in earth building to help communities plan and build housing and school facilities.
The Prince’s Trust International attendee will also include Gulfsha from India, who was awarded The Prince’s Trust Global Award in 2022 in recognition of her exceptional determination and achievements demonstrated through her participation in the Get Into programme in India. Delivered by The Prince’s Trust International partner Magic Bus India Foundation, Gulfsha completed the Get Into programme she had heard about at college. Learning via an online environment, Gulfsha honed a range of workplace skills and successfully interviewed for her first-ever job. She now works for a consultancy firm, providing price estimates for construction projects.
Jay Patel from Prince’s Trust Canada is a resilient individual who overcame isolation and low confidence after moving from India to Canada in 2021. By completing The Prince's Trust Canada's Youth Employment programme in May 2022, Jay gained valuable skills and secured a job as a cook at Toronto’s iconic CN Tower – one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Now on his way to becoming a Chef, Jay is passionate about inspiring others to find the same kind of support network that helped him achieve success.
Rose-centred red dress designed by fashion designer from West Bengal`s Hooghly district
29-year-old, Priyanka, comes from a small village situated about 50 km from Kolkata. She holds degrees from Italy`s Milan, Harward and the Stanford University of the US. She is also a member of the Royal Commonwealth Society of the UK.
Priyanka Mallick, a fashion designer from West Bengal`s Hooghly district received a transcontinental e-mail cum appreciation letter straight from the United Kingdom, thanking her enough for designing a "butterfly brooch" for His Majesty King Charles III.
Priyanka will be virtually attending the evening party of the Coronation ceremony, scheduled to be held on May 7, 2023. Not only King Charles III, but Camilla, the Queen Consort, will also don a rose-centred red dress designed by Priyanka.
Coronation and the Commonwealth
A set of four stamps reflecting subjects close to the heart of King Charles III, such as diversity and the Commonwealth, has been unveiled to mark the 74-year-old monarch's Coronation on Saturday.
The ‘Diversity and Community' themed stamp is designed to reflect a multi-faith community and the cultural diversity of contemporary British society.
“The stamp features figures representing the Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist religions and is representative of all faiths and none. The background shows aspects of both rural and urban Britain and includes some of the many different places of worship that are found around the United Kingdom,” Royal Mail said.
The Commonwealth stamp is said to depict an outward-looking UK, global trade, cooperation, democracy and peace.
"Images of diverse forests, wildflower meadows and pollinating insects highlight the importance of wildlife conservation, while traditional crafts such as hedge-laying and beekeeping also feature prominently," it said.
The Miniature Sheet background design, also featuring a newly commissioned wood engraving by Andrew Davidson, depicts intermingling foliage, symbolic of the four countries of the UK: the rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock.
Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle
On Sunday, 7th May 2023, a special Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle in celebration of the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort. The Coronation Concert will be attended by Their Majesties and other Members of the Royal Family. The Coronation Choir will perform at a concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May. The choir will be made up of a diverse group of community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.
Buckingham Palace has not yet released details of plans for an honours list to celebrate the King’s coronation. The coronation honours would be the second list awarded by the King after he issued the New Year’s honours four months after the Queen died.
Who pays for the coronation?
Unlike royal weddings, the coronation is a state occasion, which means the government pays. The ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II cost a total of £1.57m - the equivalent of £46m today. The King is said to be planning a coronation ceremony that will be less expensive than his mother's because of the cost of living crisis. While more than 8,000 people attended the Queen's coronation, it's expected a modest 2,000 will be there for the King's - enough to fill Westminster Abbey without the need for extra seats.
The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire hosts a tea for faith leaders at Bhaktivedanta Manor, in celebration of the King’s Coronation
In the run-up to the momentous occasion of the coronation of King Charles III, Bhaktivedanta Manor hosted a ‘pre-coronation tea’ for faith leaders on Tuesday 2nd May.
The event was attended by over 30 religious organisations from Hertfordshire, who collectively represented a dozen faiths. Bhaktivedanta Manor this year celebrates its 50th anniversary — it was 50 years ago that George Harrison of the Beatles kindly donated the temple to our community.
Robert Voss the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire said that “faith is a central part of the King’s priorities and Hertfordshire’s diversity is something to celebrate. Hosting this tea will bring faith leaders together to form strong links to bring about change in our community”
Vinay Tanna a Deputy Lieutenant said in his welcoming speech to the faith leaders that “coming to a spiritual place like this; walking around the gardens and lake or feeding the cows, is about strengthening one’s own faith”
Lady Verulam who is the Chair of the Hertfordshire Lieutenancy interfaith panel said “It is hoped that such a gathering of faith leaders has a special role to play, in fulfilling the vision of the King.”
President of Bhaktivedanta Manor Her Grace Visakha Dasi added “We are grateful to have the privilege of hosting this interfaith event at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Cooperation and collaboration between our many and diverse spiritual communities will be strongest when there’s positive communication between us.”
The event culminated in a cutting of a royal cake by Her Grace Vishaka Devi and the Lord Lieutenant, with the ceremonial sword.
