Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is Nottingham -- VETERANS of the famous Gurkha army regiment, along with their families, have officially been welcomed to Nottinghamshire. More than 50 members of the Nepalese community joined dignitaries and officials at a special civic reception at County Hall today, where a friendship book was signed to mark the official arrival of the families to the county. Chairman of the British Gurkha Ex-servicemen's Society Nottingham, Gopal Kumar Rai, presented a traditional Nepalese knife called a Kukri to Notts County Council Chairman, Councillor John Allin. Mr Rai who set-up the group two years ago hoped that today would mark the start of a special friendship between the county council and the Gurkha community. He said: "Settling into new places is never easy and it has been challenging for some of our Gurkhas with their families. "But as a whole we are very grateful and indebted for the support we have received from the county council and the local communities." Mr Rai's wife, Deepa Rai, entertained the audience with a performance of a traditional Nepalese song as well as a cover of Foreigner's, I Want to Know What Love Is. Haikamsing Dewan, 50, of St Anne's moved to Nottingham in 2008 with his wife and four children, his youngest son Vibin, 12, currently attends Greenwood Dale Academy. He said: "Never in my life have I had this kind of reception, I really feel, now, like I am part of Nottingham." Nottinghamshire county Council Council have been working with around 50 Gurkha families to help integrate them into the Notts community. The council's Community and Voluntary Sector Team have used a £5,000 Government grant to provide a range of help including English language and computer courses at Central College Nottingham as well as the launch of a Nepalese and Gurkha Veterans Group. The name Gurkha comes from the hill town of Gorkha, which had been the focus point of the Nepalese kingdom. They were first recruited as soldiers during the Victorian period and have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years - serving in all major conflicts such as The First and Second World Wars, the Falklands and Afghanistan. Five years ago, members of the Gurkha regiment were granted the right to live in the UK following a successful campaign lead by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father was a Gurkha. Councillor John Allin, said: "The huge public support behind Joanna Lumley's campaign showed just how grateful the British public is to the Gurkhas for their loyal, dedicated and fearless service to our armed forces. "We are privileged that so many families have chosen to settle in Nottinghamshire and enrich our local communities. I am delighted to hear that they are settling in well and that so many have quickly found employment." Are you a Gurkha who is now living in Notts or have you ever served in the armed forces and have a story to tell? Get in touch: news desk@nottinghampost.com
Reported by This is 12 hours ago.
Clik here to view.
This is Nottingham -- VETERANS of the famous Gurkha army regiment, along with their families, have officially been welcomed to Nottinghamshire. More than 50 members of the Nepalese community joined dignitaries and officials at a special civic reception at County Hall today, where a friendship book was signed to mark the official arrival of the families to the county. Chairman of the British Gurkha Ex-servicemen's Society Nottingham, Gopal Kumar Rai, presented a traditional Nepalese knife called a Kukri to Notts County Council Chairman, Councillor John Allin. Mr Rai who set-up the group two years ago hoped that today would mark the start of a special friendship between the county council and the Gurkha community. He said: "Settling into new places is never easy and it has been challenging for some of our Gurkhas with their families. "But as a whole we are very grateful and indebted for the support we have received from the county council and the local communities." Mr Rai's wife, Deepa Rai, entertained the audience with a performance of a traditional Nepalese song as well as a cover of Foreigner's, I Want to Know What Love Is. Haikamsing Dewan, 50, of St Anne's moved to Nottingham in 2008 with his wife and four children, his youngest son Vibin, 12, currently attends Greenwood Dale Academy. He said: "Never in my life have I had this kind of reception, I really feel, now, like I am part of Nottingham." Nottinghamshire county Council Council have been working with around 50 Gurkha families to help integrate them into the Notts community. The council's Community and Voluntary Sector Team have used a £5,000 Government grant to provide a range of help including English language and computer courses at Central College Nottingham as well as the launch of a Nepalese and Gurkha Veterans Group. The name Gurkha comes from the hill town of Gorkha, which had been the focus point of the Nepalese kingdom. They were first recruited as soldiers during the Victorian period and have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years - serving in all major conflicts such as The First and Second World Wars, the Falklands and Afghanistan. Five years ago, members of the Gurkha regiment were granted the right to live in the UK following a successful campaign lead by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father was a Gurkha. Councillor John Allin, said: "The huge public support behind Joanna Lumley's campaign showed just how grateful the British public is to the Gurkhas for their loyal, dedicated and fearless service to our armed forces. "We are privileged that so many families have chosen to settle in Nottinghamshire and enrich our local communities. I am delighted to hear that they are settling in well and that so many have quickly found employment." Are you a Gurkha who is now living in Notts or have you ever served in the armed forces and have a story to tell? Get in touch: news desk@nottinghampost.com
Reported by This is 12 hours ago.
