Update: One Community Hampshire and Dorset (OCHD), is delighted to announce that our Lead and CEO, Mr Pritheepal Singh has now commenced preparation for his campaign having been selected to be Conservative Party Candidate for Southampton City Council’s Bevois Ward

OCHD is ‘a-party political’ and respects the personal voting and political association choices of every voter (and indeed resident, employee, business owner) across the UK as well as the South Coast/Hampshire & Dorset, and Southampton, we provide this historic news because of it’s significance as indicating a candidate being chosen for such an important, and multicultural ward who has served all sections of the community diligently for so many years and believes in an inclusive, humane, and prosperous Britain and Southampton.  This reflects honour directly on the effectiveness of our organisation, OCHD itself.

Whilst Mr Singh, a greatly respected community leader and figure in Southampton, due to his across Southampton and far beyond humble attitude combined with passion, focus and diligence seen in his actions of being a servant of community and society, would if elected bring these great strengths to the City of Southampton, and through his Party, to the Council. OCHD is excited about this prospect, and feels that it will be of enormous benefit to every section of Southampton society, and every voter/resident of Bevois Ward irrespective of their voting preference, or whether or not they vote at all.

There are many examples of such service provided by Mr Singh, but we are here rightly pleased to include a major recent one in the domain of sport: http://www.bouncingbubble.co.uk/football-supporters-association-fsa-with-kick-it-out-kio-in-conjunction-with-one-community-hampshire-dorset-ochd-and-the-uk-nepal-friendship-society-uknfs-bame-equality-participation-in-fo/

Below we provide two images from a recent meeting of Pritheepal with the Leader of Southampton City Council, Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry, who was amongst the first to congratulate Mr Singh on his candidacy.

One Community Hampshire and Dorset (OCHD) is delighted to share the news that our organisation lead initiator and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Pritheepal Singh, has been selected to stand as a candidate for Bevois Ward in Southampton, at next May’s local government elections.

At the weekend (16th/17th October) Mr Singh, a member and staunch supporter of Conservative Friends of India (where OCHD Chief Patron, Lord Rami Ranger CBE [pictured with Pritheepal in the image above from the recent OCHD co-lead Kick it Out, Football Supporters Association, with UK Nepal Friendship Society event of 10th October at Aldershot Town FC] was the principal Founder), shared the very exciting news that he had been selected to stand for Bevois Ward for the Conservative Party.

With his passion for Community and exceptional record on community support, particularly through our OCHD, in which position for some two years Pritheepal has given his time and enthusiasm to serve the whole of society, and support those such as international students plunged into plight by Covid 19 impacts, as well as through educational multicultural Britain development initiatives, such as a Sikh Memorial for Southampton, it is certain that if elected he will serve ALL members of the Bevois Ward diligently and with focus and passion.

The 10th October witnessed a historic moment for the advance of tangible BAME communities inclusion and for the British Nation & People in the context of football.

At Aldershot Town FC, hosted by Mr Shahid Azeem (Chair) and Mr Waleed Khan (Director) on the joint initiative of the Football Supporters Association ‘Diversity in Football’ lead Mr Anwar Uddin, Mr Tony Burnett (CEO of Kick it Out) — the two main UK organisations working for inclusion of Diverse Communities in football and the counteracting of racism and all other forms of prejudice in football playing and football supporting contexts — in conjunction with One Community Hampshire and Dorset (OCHD: https://www.ochd.org.uk/ : Chief Patron, Lord Rami Ranger) and the UK Nepal Friendship Society (Official Patron H.E. the Ambassador of Nepal to the UK, Mr Lok Darshan Regmi: www.uknfs.org), a ground-breaking event was held to launch a joint initiative by the four organisations that have signed a partnership agreement.

This ‘One Game One Community’ initiative developed through FSA, KIO, OCHD and UKNFS collaboration to counteract racism and boost pan-Asian (Nepali, Sikh, Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan) and broader BAME communities participation football in the UK, was historic in nature.  It could not have been launched at a more important location.

Home of the British Army, and home of the largest and most long established Nepali (largely Gurkha – Nepali) community, Aldershot, the event witnessed only senior leads of the local and national Nepali community, and senior representatives of other South Asian communities.

Beyond these the VIP guests and guests speakers were truly illustrious from internationally renowned footballers, very senior England FA officers, through to Lord Rami Ranger and the High Commission of India, through to the brilliant UN level recognised traditional Indian dance performer Dr Ragasudha Vinjamuri (image above) who opened the event programme with a spectacular Hindu dance, with valuable overview of the significance of the dance, provided by Dr Sanjukta Ghosh of SOAS (OCHD Advisor).

Nepali food was also enabled through the assistance of Mr Hiradhan Rai (UKNFS Chief Advisor, and an OCHD Advisor). In addition one of the VIP guests included Mr Dhan Gurung (Gurkha Satyagraha), one of the three heroic Nepali- Gurkha hunger strikers (the hunger strike featuring in national/BBC and international news but a few weeks ago).

OCHD with the UKNFS wish to record a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Mr Anwar Uddin (himself a nationally renowned footballer: to left in the image above) with Mr Shahid Azeem, in conjunction with KIO, for enabling this historic event for football and for building further a truly inclusive Britain through football.

OCHD CEO Mr Pritheepal Singh (above), not only was the principal MC for the event, but also contributed a major insightful talk about the unique value of the initiative before the commencement of the panel discussion part of the event.

Both OCHD and the UKNFS also wish to record their appreciation to all three branches of the UK Armed Forces having senior officers leading on Armed Forces equality & inclusion for attending and contributing to the event, as well as to the FA and to The Royal British Legion (TRBL) and to NHS England.

Watch this space for more news about the impact of the event and initiative! An online follow up event is being planned for later in November, and a Parliament/House of Lords event in January 2021.

LATER NEXT WEEK THIS ARTICLE WILL BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE BACKGROUND TO AND FURTHER DETAILS CONCERING THE FSA/KIO/OCHD/UKNFS PARTNERSHIP and OUTCOMES/ACTIONS RESULTING FROM THE INITIATIVE LAUNCH

One Community Hampshire and Dorset (OCHD) is very pleased to announce that it has signed a partnership agreement with our friends Dorset Race Equality Council (DREC).  This partnership will be of major benefit to supporting the voice of our Dorset & BCP area BAME communities regarding issues and needs.  DREC has a proud record of supporting our pan-Dorset area ethnic minority communities proactively and in regard to challenging racism, and to this will now be joined the unique work in these directions of our OCHD, including on joint OCHD – DREC projects to benefit the community, as well as regarding consultations that impact on BAME communities welfare, experiences and perspectives.

Above, image from recent meeting of OCHD CEO, Director and Lead Founder/Initiator, Pritheepal Singh, OCHD Director and Co-founder Alan Mercel-Sanca, and DREC CEO Nathalie Sherring, outside the DREC office in Boscombe, Bournemouth.

OCHD is very pleased to provide our fulsome congratulations to Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry (left) and the new administration of Southampton City Council: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-57033712

We look forward greatly to working with the new Council Leader (Cllr Fitzhenry) and his fellow councillor colleagues, including new Portfolio Holders, in supporting all of the people of our great city, our BAME/Diverse Communities, and all sections of society and those from all walks of life.

There are exciting opportunities for Southampton, including the City of Culture 2025 initiative, and our OCHD initiated and led in conjunction with the Council of Southampton Gurdwara’s nationally important Memorial Southampton project in which all faiths & beliefs of our World War 1 and World War 2 heroes are recognised and celebrated.

David has been in direct meaningful contact and dialogue with our organisation from its inception, and as visitors to our website will recall David’s important Businesses & Crime Survey — https://www.ochd.org.uk/ochd-proposed-bcp-council-area-bame-community-supportive-crime-hate-crime-consultation-proposal-conservative-dorset-pcc-candidate-businesses-crime-survey/ — with OCHD support for this important initiative being augmented by valuable research & solutions orientated dialogue and discussion around the major topic of BAME SME’s experiences of race & related ASB, and how the latter needs to be tackled by a new and comprehensive BAME communities & multi agency approach.

We are delighted to be able to engage with David on some very important BAME community support and engagement issues and needs, which we have discussed with Mr Sidwick who shares our perspectives on these, and our own OCHD approach on support to all sections of society and backgrounds.

On the 12th May, OCHD CEO, Director and Lead Founder Pritheepal Singh in conjunction with OCHD Director and co-founder Alan Mercel-Sanca, had a very helpful meeting with our new DPCC.  The discussions were valuable and very fruitful.

OCHD is looking forward to working with David in support to our BCP and Dorset BAME communities, and for all sections of society and all backgrounds and walks of life in regard to cross-cutting anti-ASB subjects, and policing/Dorset Police support.

On Monday 10th May an audience with H.E. Mr Lok Darshan Regmi, the new Ambassador of Nepal to the UK, Ireland, and Malta.  Attending the meeting facilitated by the Embassy in regard to the UK Nepal Friendship Society (UKNFS: whose official patron is H.E. the Ambassador), were UKNFS Chief Executive Officer Alan Mercel-Sanca (also a co-founder and Director at OCHD), in conjunction with and leading on representing, OCHD CEO and lead founder Pritheepal Singh, Mr Hiradhan Rai (UKNFS Chief Advisor), and Mrs Rojina Pradhan Rai (UKNFS Brand Ambassador, and a Vice President of the NRNA UK).

The transcultural education and multicultural learning promotion work and values of OCHD were highlighted by Mr Singh and commended by H.E. Mr Regmi, and especially the bringing of communities together for the shared good, including reference to our Sikh and Gurkha communities on their place in British military history.  Jointly UKNFS lead Alan Mercel-Sanca and OCHD lead shared with His Excellency the commitment both organisations have to furthering National Curriculum reform and content.

The meeting was a very successful one.  Above we include some formal images from this special and auspicious occasion including the gift of Nepali tea by His Excellency, to Mr Singh.

This further to discussions with David on support for the proposed OCHD and UKNFS consultation, and the prospective PCC’s strong support for BAME community members in the small business and self-employed sectors on recording hate crimes and racially aggravated crime incidents that community members often encounter. This is with a view to interventions at policy and policing delivery levels on both types of crimes that frequently go unreported due to feelings that no support will be forthcoming for speaking up. David Sidwick’s survey can be accessed at https://www.sidwick4dorset.org.uk/form/dorset-business-crime-survey  and you can read more about his exciting prospectus at https://www.sidwick4dorset.org.uk/

This engagement and research initiative comes at an ideal time as One Community Hampshire and Dorset (OCHD) in conjunction with the UK Nepal Friendship Society (UKNFS) is proposing a Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council area consultation with small businesses and the self-employed sector on crime and hate crime experiences faced by many BAME community members who are owners, staff, self-employed. Details on this will be provided before the end of the first week of November after a joint OCHD and UKNFS request to the BCP Council for this much needed consultation has been formally submitted — PLEASE WATCH THIS SPACE.

BBC News ‘Government apologises over failure to commemorate black and Asian Troops’ link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56840131

This on the infamous ‘airbrushing out’ often in very brutal forms in for example former British Empire ‘colonies’ / Commonwealth countries War Graves ceremonies [nationals of fallen War Heroes in the given countries & lands being buried in mass graves at the borders of White, UK nationals fallen War Heroes carefully tended cemetaries where the names of these fallen heroes are recorded on ubiquitous/iconic white stine tombstones.

We salute the UK Government for this formal, much needed apology for it allows the heroic BAME War Dead to now rest easy in their graves, and provides a long overdue wake up call to many such as those still comfortable with an outdated National Curriculum.

OCHD is very pleased to share that we have provided via email the BBC News link to our friends/contacts in Southampton City Council (addressed to advised officials, and with city councillors enthusiastically formally supporting copied in) in a context support follow up to our OCHD in conjunction with the Council of Southampton Gurdwara’s nationally and globally noted and enthusiastically supported Sikh Memorial Southampton statue & educational initiative.

The latter, in so many ways is at the crest of the tide of history and is a nationally important BAME communities and overall UK community Multicultural 21st Century Britain initiative.  We are delighted to share how great is the extent of Southampton City Council councillors (including, some time ago now the key important and greatly appreciated formal emailed support of the Council Leader, Cllr Christopher Hammond for this wonderful nationally important initiative).

As many viewers of this website will be aware in 2020 the OCHD with strong support from the UKNFS supported hundreds of South Asian students at three South Coast universities (and beyond) that experienced trauma and mental health distress and many practical study and day to day living issues as a result of Covid 19 impacts.

The information resource addresses with practical information provision solutions many of the issues the international students referred to above, encountered.  Thanks to the OCHD with UKNFS support, we found that the three universities referred to took as a result of our two organisations’ interventions many actions to address the issues involved.  On these, we will provide reference to an updated version of this news article when the information resource is formally launched in the second week of April, including on the Dorset areas that have supported and contributed to the information resource, and international students engagement and/or support stakeholders that have received the resource.

OCHD will be providing the resource in the near future to our Southern Hampshire area (Southampton and Portsmouth) internatiional students communities and relevant support stakeholders.