Pensioners, young children, volunteers and careers took to the streets to raise money for a project that supports isolated, Asian people in the borough.
The 1.3 mile walk, organised by the Newham-based charity Ekta, started from Neville Road and wound up to the police station in Forest Gate.
Founder of Ekta Project, Ramesh Verma, OBE, said: “We raised over £1000 from it and there’s still money coming in. I was really pleased with how it went. About 30 people took part and some of them were over 80.
“People were dressed up so the public also appreciated it as they saw us walk past. I was very happy with the support and I was surprised at the turnout.”
For 27 years the Ekta project has run social groups for older Asian people who have difficulty accessing services because of poor health and language barriers.
It was set up by Ramesh in 1986 after her research found public services to be “not culturally appropriate and sensitive to their needs.”
The money raised from the sponsored walk, which took place on Thursday, 31 July, will go towards private buses to get elderly people out and about.
Ekta also organises trips for its members and has a venue where they meet for sessions.
“My mum was blind and bed-ridden and I was her single-handed career,” Ramesh, 72, explained.
“I thought I’m going to fight fight fight for older people, especially older people in ethnic minorities.
“The project helps those suffering from isolation and we hope to bring them together and empower them through activities.”
Read more:
Good Neighbours: Newham group aims to give pensioners somewhere to meet up
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