The Great British Chai Party initiative was launched last night at an International Women’s Day event hosted by Bob Blackman MP at the House of Commons on 6th March 2017. Created to tackle loneliness in the elderly, the Great British Chai Party encourages people to host tea parties to aid social cohesion and facilitate news friendships. The initiative asks volunteers to arrange transport and host small groups of elderly people from all faiths and backgrounds at a tea party in their home or at a local community centre. The Great British Chai Party, the brainchild of Sushma Bhanot and Kiran Bhanaut, used the launch pad of International Women’s Day and was supported by Baroness Jenkin, Lord & Lady Dholakia, Lord Popat and Baroness Verma.
International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Kiran and Sushma lauded the Be Bold for Change concept and invited guests to hear from an array of successful women including: Lakshmi Kaul, Founder & Executive Member of Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society; journalist and news presenter Anila Dhami; Manjit Gill, CEO of charity Binti; Bhavini Kalaria, Founder of The London Law Practice; Santosh Bhanot, Founder & Chair of Asian Circle; startup advisor Bindi Karia; digital entrepreneur Lopa Patel MBE; Sudha Bhuchar, formerly Co-Founder and Artistic Director at Tamasha Theatre Co; Mirela Sula, Founder of Global Woman; Emily Jacob, who founded ReConnected Life to help rape survivors shed the shame and self-blame, and move forward with their lives; Ragasudha Vinjamuri of Asian Lite who also performed a classical dance piece and Laura Timm, coach and speaker. Ravi Bhanot, Director of sponsor Cool Herbals, gave the closing address at the event which was ably moderated by Varun Bhanot.
About the Great British Chai Party
The Great British Chai Party has been co-founded by Kiran Bhanaut and Sushma Bhanot to help tackle loneliness and social isolation within our growing aged population in this country. Throughout history, people have drunk tea and made friends or comforted each other through sharing a cup of tea. Even where language is a barrier, walls have been broken through tea drinking. Hence the idea of the Great British Chai Party was born with tea being a vehicle to bring people from all cultures together.
Sushma Bhanot is a qualified pharmacist, Ayurvedic researcher, author and has worked with the elderly for many years.
Kiran Bhanaut was previously working as Senior Project Manager at the Department of Education and currently is a freelance Health and Safety and IT Services Project Management Consultant. Kiran has a vast experience working with communities especially with elderly people in the community.
For further information visit http://www.greatbritishchaiparty.org.uk/