The Gurkha Memorial Fund Charity Dinner is postponed until further notice due to Coronavirus. We will update as soon as we are able.

The Gurkha Memorial Fund we are delighted to provide details of our forthcoming Charity Dinner Evening on 8^th May 2020.

On behalf of Mr. Dhan Gurung, Chairman of the Gurkha Memorial Fund UK, we invite you and your partner / friends to join us at the Leas Cliff Hall Channel Suite.

The cost is £30 pp and will include a delicious three course Nepalese meal. If you book a table of 10 the cost will be £280, providing a small reduction.

The meal will be provided by the same wonderful and excellent caterer as last year. Plated starter will include Onion Bhaji, Spring Rolls, Chicken Sliced Sausage, Samosa and Chutney. This will be followed by buffet style main course of Pilau and Plain Rice, Chicken Curry, Pork Curry, Lentils, Mixed Vegetables, Green Salad, Papadum, followed by Fruit Salad.

Following the success of last year’s special event we would recommend that you apply for your tickets as early as possible to avoid disappointment – the maximum number we can accommodate is 250 people.

Cheques should be made payable to “Folkestone Gurkha Memorial Fund” and sent to John Barber at the above address. Payments can be made by BACS – Folkestone Gurkha Memorial Fund; sort code 52-41-42; Account Number 47201290 – please email details to me. Cash payments can be made – contact John Barber. Tickets will be issued and only those with pre-paid tickets will able to gain access to the venue.

We are holding our next dinner at the Leas Cliff Hall once again on 8th May in the Channel Suite 6.30pm for 7.30 start. Save the date – details to follow.

On behalf of the Gurkha Memorial Fund we are delighted that the second computer project for schools in Nepal – the Joanna Lumley Computer Technology Centre was inaugurated recently. The handover Ceremony was arranged and commissioned by our sister group The Gurkha Memorial Foundation Nepal and Chairman Dhan Gurung to the Bir Balabhadra Secondary School at Thabang Village in Rolpa District situated within the western region of Nepal.

His Excellency the Vice  President of Nepal Mr Nanda Bahadur Pun officially launched this project alongside the Education Minister Hon Giriraj Mani Pokhrel and Energy Minister Hon Barsaman Pun on 23rd Feb 2020.  The project now enables the school to enjoy computer technology facilities to enable learning and interaction with other schools including the Turner School group situated in Folkestone.

Chairman Dhan Gurung commented “My humble thanks to all my trustees and respective project teams here in Nepal and the UK. It was a delight to see so many excited children experiencing the marvellous facilities as well as having the opportunity to meet officials. We are now hoping to extend facilities into other locations with their cooperation. The Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal also made a special commitment to ensure improved satellite links would be provided to compliment the project thus ensuring regular connection speeds which are currently sporadic. ”

UK project coordinator and trustee Ray Johnson commented:

“This month I had the pleasure to visit Nepal and it was so gratifying to see the terrific outcome of these vital projects. We continue to link remote schools in Nepal with the rest of the world and particularly here in schools in Folkestone. These facilities offer the opportunity to improve educational improvements and future employment prospects. As with the first project the usage will also be available to adults. On this occasion it was wonderful to see pictures of the children experiencing a computer for the very first time.”

It is possible to assist our projects by donating via BACS use reference GMFC2 to:

• Account Name: Folkestone Gurkha Memorial Fund
• Sort code: 52-41-42
• Account number: 47201290

or via www.gurkhamemorialfund.org.uk

or send cheque to GMF c/o 34 Julian Road, Folkestone, CT19 5HW and state if the donations can be Gift Aided to raise a further 25%.

We’d like to invite you, family and friends to join us at the Leas Cliff Hall Channel Suite.

The cost is f30 pp and will include a special three course Nepalese meal provided by The Namuna Gurkha Restaurant. The starter will be Onion Bhaji, Spring Rolls, Chicken Sliced Sausage, Samosa and Chutney. The main course Pilau and Plain Rice, Chicken Curry, Pork Curry, Lentils, Mixed Vegetables, Green Salad, Papadum, followed by Fruit Salad.

Following the success of last year’s special event we would recommend that you apply for your tickets as early as possible to avoid disappointment – the maximum number we can accommodate is 250 people.

Cheques should be made payable to “Folkestone Gurkha Memorial Fund” and sent to John Barber at 34 Iulian Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5HW. Payments can be made by BACS – Folkestone Gurkha Memorial Fund; sort code 52-4L-42; Account Number 4720L29A – please email details to me. Cash payments can be made – contact John Barber (John Barber, 34, Iulian Road, Folkestone, Kent. CT19 5HW or barberjd49@qmail.com Tel: O7967 345901). Entry to the event will be by ticket only and these will be issued when names and numbers are confirmed.

This Charity Dinner is aimed at raising £9000 to continue our plans of opening a Computer Centre at another Secondary School in the more remote parts of Nepal with links to Folkestone Schools and providing desktop computers, training of teachers, powerpoint projector, printer, CCTV camera and two year technology support for schools in need of these facilities. We would be grateful for your further support to help us reach our target,

This year we were able to provide Fire Equipment and three days of District level training to 200 students in Jhapa Nepal at l{echi Nagar, We also provided and installed 5 laptops at Khutidangi Secondary School Jhapa,

Over Christmas the Gurkha Memorial Fund supported the local homeless community where a Gurkha Christmas Curry Lunch was held at the offices of Independent Insurance Services on Sandgate Road.

Over 15 people attended the lunch who very much appreciated the facility during a rather cold period. A full curry with soft drinks was provided along with Christmas crackers.

As we all know this is a time of year where the homeless do need support and along with other excellent facilities that exist in Folkestone it is also nice that the GMF team and others assisted within this project. The organisers also had the opportunity to chat to those that came along who gave their sincere thanks and were most appreciative of the hot, spicy food that was a tradition Himalayan meal.

Dhan Gurung the chairman commented:

“I was so pleased with the turnout and the feedback received along with all those who assisted with the Gurkha curry preparation and meal.

“I would like to say thank you to the trustees including Alka Gurung and Hema Thapa along with Ray Johnson for providing the venue facilities. In addition I am grateful for the support received from both John and Brenda Duggleby.”

Recently the Gurkha Memorial Fund held its first litter picking project which was held in Folkestone Harbour on Saturday 15^th December 2018. The local Nepalese community came together along with the chairman Dhan Gurung to assist with collecting discarded litter within the harbour area.

It is now envisaged that the initiative will continue working closely with Folkestone & Hythe District Council who have appreciated the assistance on a quarterly basis or perhaps every two months as necessary.

The Gurkha Memorial Fund (GMF) are delighted to confirm that during a special ceremony last Saturday the 2^nd June 2018 the Gurkha Memorial statue within Christchurch Gardens, Folkestone was officially handed over to Folkestone Town Council (FTC).

The Town Mayor Cllr Ann Berry was presented with a Certificate of appreciation from the Chairman Dhan Gurung where trustees and representatives from the Gurkha and Nepalese community enjoyed the occasion.

Dhan Gurung, the Chairman of the Gurkha Memorial Fund, commented:

“I am honoured that the Gurkha Memorial statue which acknowledges the Gurkhas sacrifice and their great contribution to the United Kingdom is recognised as a local government Folkestone Town Council memorial and we will continue to hold our annual memorial service on the first Sunday of each October on behalf of the country’s Gurkha community. I would also like to thank the Mayor, our trustees and supporters.”

The Town Mayor commented:

“It is always a delight to be with the Gurkha community and join members of the charity and I wish the charity future success with the various projects moving forward.”

Ray Johnson – Project  coordinator trustee commented:

“We are most grateful that FTC have taken on this special statue as custodians within its vast collection. Moving forward the GMF will continue with many projects to help and assist those both in Nepal and here in the UK. We are developing a second computer suite at school in Nepal and are further enhancing connectivity between schools in both countries to improve skills and communications for future work prospects.”

The statue was unveiled in October 2015 by Joanna Lumley to recognise the service of Gurkha soldiers, and further information is available here: https://gurkhamemorialfund.org.uk/the-memorial/

The Gurkha Memorial Fund held its second annual charity dinner evening on 27 April 2018 in support of its next phase of providing a computer technology and education project in Nepal.

The dinner included a special three-course Nepalese meal provided by the Namuna Gurkha Restaurant, along with entertainment and dancing. A raffle and auction followed and we are very grateful to all the individuals and companies that supported the event. We were delighted that we raised over £3,000 towards our second phase computer technology centre fundraising appeal to provide a fully-fitted computer centre at a secondary school at a secondary in the Rolpa district, to the eastern part of Nepal. Children within this area face an hours-long journey just to access internet facilities.

The new centre will provide computer knowledge and skills for those children who have never had access or the opportunity to use computers before. Other local schools will also use the classroom and the Gurkha Memorial Fund will support the educational needs. The site will comprise of a minimum of 15 laptops, as well as all the relevant furniture, infrastructure, support and backup to enable the project to succeed. Thereafter, the schools will be encouraged to communicate with other schools in Folkestone to share cultural experiences.

There were many dignitaries including Folkestone Town Mayor, Cllr Roger West, who thanked the fund and the trustees for their ongoing support and dedication to assist a variety of projects and, more importantly, the local Nepalese community and Gurkha regiment.

We are aiming to raise £12,000 for the project and any donations or support will be greatly appreciated, which may be made by providing cash payments c/o Ray Johnson, Church House, 136 Sandgate Road, Folkestone CT20 2BN or preferably BACS payments, via sort code 52-41-42, account number 47201290.

For further information please call Ray Johnson, UK project co-ordinator on 01303 22 11 88.