By Matthew Pritchard

 The Camberley Nepalese Gurkha Association is one of 15 charities in Surrey shortlisted for the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

Tek Gurung helps run the CNGA. He gave a presentation last week to assessors from the KAVS during which he spoke about the CNGA’s history, organisation, and aims, and explained the activities it provided for the 785 registered members: coach excursions to British landmarks; exercise sessions for senior citizens; health and wellbeing awareness seminars; classes in English and numeracy; and courses on British culture and living in the UK.

Mr Gurung said the CNGA provides ‘a neutral space for all Nepalis, where everyone is welcome and all are equal, regardless of rank or caste’. He highlighted the CNGA’s role in delivering food, medicine, and PPE to the Nepali community during the COVID-19 pandemic and also said the association coordinates with other local organisations, such as Age Concern and Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum.

Dr Roger Hood is a Deputy Lieutenant of the Surrey Lieutenancy and one of the assessors for the KAVS in Surrey. He said there were more than 3,000 charity organisations in Surrey and highlighted the CNGA’s merit on being shortlisted. He said, ‘They have done very well to get to the last 15,’ and added that ‘those charities meeting the quality bar will be recommended by the Lord-Lieutenant to go forward to the National Assessors’.

This is a judging panel comprised of past award recipients and experts in voluntary service which will determine how many of the roughly 800 charities nominated nationally are granted the award in November.

Dr Hood said the award granted recipient charities national recognition: ‘The KAVS means that the organisation has been recognised by the King to have reached a very high standard . . . and helps distinguish it when local councils are allocating grants.’

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is awarded yearly and seeks to shine a light on ‘the fantastic work of voluntary groups from all across the UK’. The lifetime award is equivalent to an MBE and is the highest given to voluntary groups in the UK. Last year, a total of 281 charities, social enterprises, and voluntary groups in the UK were awarded the KAVS.

Tek Gurung delivers his presentation

Members of the CNGA during the presentation

CNGA executive committee members pose with assessors from the KAVS