Bharat Cricket Community in London, which was founded to promote healthy living and community integration in South East England, has received the Points of Light award from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Himanshu Jain is one of the most recent recipients of the honour, which often recognizes exceptional people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose stories can inspire others to find creative ways to solve social problems in their own communities and beyond.
According to Downing Street, the award was given earlier this month, ahead of both Mahavir Jayanti and Vaisakhi.
“The Bharat Cricket Community, my fellow trustee and co-founder Prasanth, and the many community and humanitarian initiatives I’ve been privileged to be part of, both locally and globally, like the Leprosy Control Programme in India, which I am championing in the UK, are all responsible for this recognition,” Jain said.
From basic sessions to professional leagues with over 200 players, the Bharat Cricket Community offers South Asian males from Barking, Sutton, Kent and Southend opportunity to play cricket.
In addition to helping thousands of men since its official inception in 2021, it has grown to include women and kids in coaching sessions and team formations.
It promotes community cohesiveness via award ceremonies, family days, and providing a platform for the general public to connect with and respect South Asian culture. Every weekend, it organizes the so-called “Bharat Premier League” and mini-tournaments.
Many of the club’s members help at neighborhood athletic and rotary events, like the London Marathon earlier this month, as a way of saying “thank you” to the community.
Members of the Bharat Cricket Community also help Jain in his efforts to raise money and awareness for his Leprosy Control Programme, which he manages in the UK to combat the illness in India.
The Jain Points of Light award also acknowledges his contributions to various charitable causes and his collaboration with the Institute of Jainology to further its “Jainpedia initiative,” which involves digitizing, translating, and transliterating more than 5,000 manuscripts kept in British libraries and museums.
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