"It’s an honour to perform at the Palace"
Stars and celebrities from across the UK joined HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday 6th February 2018 to celebrate 10 years of the British Asian Trust.
The anniversary dinner took place at Buckingham Palace and was attended by Desi stars like Riz Ahmed, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Neelam Gill and Kanika Kapoor.
It is thought that 200 guests in total attended the special celebration, from the world of entertainment, sport, politics and business.
The Trust was founded in 2007 by HRH The Prince of Wales. Its aim is to tackle poverty and hardship across South Asia. The charity works by linking British Asian entrepreneurs to social initiatives back home.
Prince Charles spoke about the great initiatives that the charity has created over the past decade.
In particular, the Trust has launched a £7.2 million Development Impact Bond. This latest project will provide education to 200,000 Indian children:
“The British Asian community has excelled in almost every area of life, whether it be academia, the arts, media, or of course business, and has made a profound and indispensable contribution to the United Kingdom for many decades,” the Prince told guests.
“The diaspora is characterised, perhaps above all, by an extraordinary generosity and deeply held desire to help those who are most vulnerable and in need.”
He also mentioned his most recent trip to India in November 2017, and added that both he and Camilla “have both been so deeply touched by the tremendously positive impact that the Trust is having on the ground”.
As the @britishasiantst marks its 10th anniversary this year, take a look at how the charity is working to change the lives of people across South Asia.#10YearsofChange pic.twitter.com/2ulCBkThKF
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) February 7, 2018
“There is still so much we can do together to make a difference in South Asia, a region which remains close to my and my wife’s heart,” he added.
Over the years, many well-known Asian celebrities have become ambassadors for the Trust. Including Gurinder Chadha, Meera Syal, Manish Malhotra and James Caan.
One committed ambassador is Zayn Malik, who tweeted his congratulations on the 10th Anniversary:
Congratulations on your 10th anniversary, I'm proud to be an ambassador @britishasiantst #princecharles
— zayn (@zaynmalik) February 6, 2018
Other ambassadors to the British Asian Trust also shared their support for the charity. TV presenter Manish Bhasin said:
“Whenever I speak to HRH The Prince of Wales, I’m always taken aback by his passion for the work the British Asian Trust does. After 10 years he seems committed as ever – plus he’s the only one who likes my jokes!”
Entertainment came from the likes of music producer Naughty Boy and Kanika Kapoor who performed hit tracks ‘Runnin’ and ‘La La La’. Naughty Boy later said:
“I was really petrified initially because there’s so much powerful energy here. But it felt right that I should be doing this. It’s an honour to perform at the Palace.”
Riz Ahmed also attended the event at Buckingham Palace. The actor arrived with his mother. Later he shared the experience with his fans on Instagram stories. He mentioned the royal affair had a lot of Desi food, and also that Prince Charles kept calling Camilla: “My Mehbooba.”
The anniversary dinner was undoubtedly a success, celebrating the great achievements of the British Asian Trust to aid and support families and individuals across South Asia. It is hoped that the royal initiative will continue to help others for many years to come.
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