KATHMANDU, May 28: The Gurkhas may have won the battle in UK parliament but they may still have to face months of living in desperately poor conditions. With some men and their families having to share one room with up to ten men, Verbatim, a Newbury-based call centre has teamed up with the Forgotten British Gurkha charity in an attempt to put a stop to it. [break]
The Forgotten British Gurkha foundation is aiming to raise half a million pounds to purchase a residential centre where the Gurkhas and their families can live in dignity before settling in the UK, according to a press statement issued by Verbatim.
Verbatim are supplying a telephone reception service and a credit card donation line, as they "do their bit" for some of our nation´s most loyal soldiers.
NPL: Kathmandu Gurkhas defeat Pokhara Avengers
Graham Hill, director of Verbatim, said "We are delighted to offer our services to support these brave men and their families who served our nation with great honor. We take calls on behalf of a variety of different companies, from one man bands to large blue chip corporations so we are fully equipped to take donation calls for the Gurkha charity. The charity can now have peace of mind that every call will be answered, to ensure they don´t miss a donation."
Paul Keddie, the director of the charity comments "The Gurkhas and their families have to live in appalling conditions. The money we are trying to raise will enable us to give them better living conditions until all the red tape is completed."
The centre targets to collect £500,000.
Lumley goes Green
It is the celebrity endorsement that all the major political parties would have loved to receive. But actress Joanna Lumley, who shamed British ministers into granting immigration rights to Gurkha veterans, has thrown her support behind the Greens in the European elections, saying that they are most likely to bring about real change, British newspapers reported on Thursday.
Her decision is a blow for the Liberal Democrats who had been wooing the Absolutely Fabulous star during the Gurkha campaign.
But the actress - named as the female celebrity the public would most like to run the country - said the Greens were most likely to bring about real change. "I urge you to cast a positive vote for a better future by voting Green in the European elections," she added.
Lumley, a champion of human rights in Burma, the free Tibet cause and animal rights, paid tribute to the party´s leader, Caroline Lucas, "a tireless campaigner... staunchly defending human rights and strongly promoting greater protection for animals".
