Guests travelled thousands of miles and helped to raise thousands of pounds as Bollywood came to Oldham. More than 700 people flocked to the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the “Bollywood Dhamaka” event, which raised £50,000 and saw the Indian Association Oldham reach its target to build an extension at its base in Schofield Street.
The hugely successful dinner dance in aid of the project welcomed guests from far and wide, including London, India and Canada to support the cause.
Team India — a group of dedicated young association members who staged this event — were overwhelmed by the generosity of the 750-strong sell-out crowd.
Along with raising funds for the building extension, the night also raised over £4,000 for the Nepal earthquake appeal.
The event brought some well-known artists to Oldham from London, including DJ ICONIK, veteran reggae artist Don Dee and DJ Krash, a Bollywood celebrity.
The association’s development will see a large annexe added to its existing community centre to cater for its increasing activities.
The cost of the extension — estimated at £395,000 — has been met by contributions from the community, with no grants secured from outside organisations.
The Indian Association had already raised more than £300,000 over the last few years and had a shortfall of about £50,000, which has now been bridged thanks to “Bollywood Dhamaka”.
Association president Bharat Sisodia said: “I am grateful to the members of Team India — Sasi and Sonal Patel, Nila and Suresh Garara, Shashi Mohandas and Gouri Gosh — whose selfless hard work has paid off. We feel proud to have raised the necessary funds ourselves for the community activities.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to all the people of Oldham and around the country for their huge generosity for our community project. Their contributions will go a long way in providing a range of facilities and activities for our community.”
