Dorset area developments:
The UKNFS is working with Dorset County Council on a minor yet symbolically important to link the work of environmentalists in Nepal with anti-litter initiatives in the Dorset area, sharing experiences and the perspectives of people in both countries to learn from each other.
Avonbourne Academy: We are developing a relationship with this Bournemouth, nationally important college, on a number of global citizenship projects. The first of these was a competition for students to design a PDF for facts about Nepal (the academy has a countries of the world awareness exercise to introduce students to other lands and peoples to assist them to develop global perspectives).
UKNFS Annual General Meeting:
Our AGM was recently held at Bournemouth University, where Jib Acharya, one of the original founder members of the UKNFS was formally welcomed to the Board. Updates on our projects and the increasing influence and renown for our society in the UK and in Nepal, these have been gaining, were a major feature of this very successful meeting.
International News and Partnerships:
The UKNFS has recently signed an MOU with the Janaki Women Awareness Society: we are delighted to partner with the JWAS and have outlined a number of areas for mutual support in realising goals for enhancing gender equality and combating women’s disempowerment.
You can read more about JWAS by visiting their website.
The UKNFS and NIAP in Scotland:
The NIAP has been progressing strongly, including effecting important introductions through a Britain Nepal Chamber of Commerce delegation visit to Nepal in March: as a result we were able to help the three creative sector delegates, all of whom whose organisations were Scotland-based, including the Edinburgh Nepali Film Festival, Youth Juice Creative, and Scottish Contemporary Network. We are very excited to be working with Susan Forgie and Alan and Neill Forgie on sharing development of awareness of Nepali arts in Scotland, and creative links between Nepal and Scotland through shared perspectives of their organisations, and aspects of the UKNFS’ NIAP.
In addition we developed a partnership with Mr James Lamb, who has a long a special friendship with Nepal, and especially the Sherpa people, and has (July 2016) joined the UKNFS board.
James brings his great expertise as a professional landscape photographer and promoter of adventure tourism derived from his passions for climbing and trekking, to our organisation. In addition to playing an important part in development of aspects of UKNFS projects, especially cultural tourism, James will be helping to develop the UKNFS in Scotland, including development of strategic relationships across a range of important domains.
Nepal Art Council project:
The UKNFS has been leading over the past year on the further development of the Nepal Art Council Nepal – Britain Bicentenary Exhibition project, the final stages of which are now underway.
Equality in Healthcare Project:
The second phase of the project has over the summer been almost finalised; it will take forward the key recommendations of the report that concluded the very important phase one piloting and trialling stage that took place in Greenwich and Woolwich. Phase two is unique for broadening its scope of outreach to the broader South Asian community, and a number of locations for its implementation are in act of being identified, including Dorset & Hampshire, South East London – Kent, Derbyshire and Scotland, all of which have special characteristics making them suitable and favourable for maximum potential success of phase two of the project.
This has the objectives of empowering Nepali and broader South Asian communities in their experience of NHS and social care services, including enhancing customer/patient care and customer relations. We are very excited to provide this update and will provide more news in the autumn when phase two will be close to being started. For this project the UKNFS is working in partnership with other South Asian communities and their representational organisations, including the Odisha Society UK.
Purba Dhara Tour support for Nepal, and the Odisha Society UK:
The UKNFS is delighted to share the news of the Purba Dhara Tour, whose Cambridge stop is dedicated to promoting awareness of Nepal, fundraising for UKNFS NIAP work in Nepal, particularly linked to recovery and socio-economic development initiatives at a number of locations across Nepal. We thank Mrs Sushri Wells of the Odisha Society UK for her and her organisation’s partnership and being associated in such a valuable and honourable way with this unique and nationally important tour of internationally renowned dance and traditional music performers.