8th February Protest and Next Protest on 22nd February outside Wes Streeting's Office at 2pm

 Thank you to everyone attending yesterday.


The video is at 

This is  Jagdish Thacker, the Chairman of the Redbridge Gujarati Welfare Association (RGWA) speech

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for being here today. My name is Jagdish Thacker, and I am the Chairman of the Redbridge Gujarati Welfare Association (RGWA), a charity that has been serving the elderly and disabled community 3 days a week for over 30 years. RGWA is very efficiently run with our dedicated committee members and volunteers. Our organisation provides vital social interaction, cultural activities, and essential services, including health checks, benefits advice, yoga, swimming, and exercise in form of tradition folk dancing. We offer our members a place to come together, stay active, and avoid the loneliness and isolation that can lead to serious health problems.

However, today we stand here because Redbridge Council has decided to withdraw the grant that helps fund our premises. From 1st February 2025 RGWA, along with other charities like Redbridge Asian Mandal (RAM) and the disabled Asian Women’s Network (DAWN), will no longer receive financial support from the council. This decision puts us at risk of shutting down, leaving over 400 of our members – many of them elderly and disabled – without a safe and supporting place to go.

If our organisation closes, the impact will be severe. Many of our members rely on RGWA not just for social activities but also for their mental and physical well-being. Sitting at home in isolation can lead to depression, dementia, and other health conditions, which will ultimately put more strain on the already overburdened NHS. At a time when the government has also cut down winter fuel payments and pensioners are struggling with higher taxes, removing this essential support is both unfair and unjustified.

We have already protested outside Redbridge Council on 23th January, and despite media coverage and interviews, the council has failed to respond to our concerns. Today, we are here to make our voices louder. We demand answers from Councillor Jas Athwal and his colleagues. Why has our funding been taken away? Why only selected charities? Why this discrimination against our elderly and disabled? And most importantly, what alternative support does the council propose for our vulnerable members?

We will not stay silent while our elders and disabled community members are neglected. We urge Redbridge Council to reconsider this decision and reinstate the grants that allow organisations like ours to continue providing these essential services.

To everyone here today – thank you for your support in this extremely cold and rainy weather. Let’s stand together, raise our voices, and ensure that our community is not ignored.

Save RAGWA, Save DAWN, Save RAM.

Save our community! NO TO CUTS – DO NOT discriminate against the elderly and the disabled!!!


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