‘Remembering Indian Soldiers’ First World War project wins Heritage Lottery Fund support’

The Golden Tours Foundation has been awarded a £89,900 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an important heritage project, Remembering Indian Soldiers in WW1.

The role of Indian soldiers during WW1 is an important legacy for Britain. This project will be sharing the heritage in particular with the Hindu and communities such as the Zoroastrians, Jains and Buddhists. This shared history is relevant as in today’s multi-faith Britain with more than a million people from these faiths have made the UK their home.

The biggest populations of these communities are in London and Leicester and the project’s activities will be focused in these areas. This project will be led by local volunteers and will enable people of all ages to learn more about their ancestor’s involvement in WW1. This will be achieved through variety of different activities including workshops, webinars and will culminate in three events, two in London and one in Leicester.

The Indian contribution during WW1 was considerable, but much of the story is missing from the public domain. India provided the largest voluntary force ever assembled in history with around 1.5 million individuals. Remembering Indian Soldiers will help broaden the engagement and understanding of WW1 among these communities, as well as within the wider public sphere. We will put particular emphasis on engaging with the younger generation by providing a ‘relevancy’ framework of how their ancestor’s contribution on the world stage impacted the future paths of the two nations in terms of independence, migration and national identity.

Commenting on the award, Nitin Palan said: “The Golden Tours Foundation is extremely privileged to be able to participate in such an important legacy project in remembering the sacrifice of so many who have helped to make the present possible. We see this as an important opportunity to commemorate them and work towards maintaining peace for the benefit of our future generations which can only come through greater understanding through educational programmes like this”

Stuart Hobley, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, the Remembering Indian Soldiers project will allow Hindu communities to share their heritage with the public through a variety of activities and a series of events in London and Leicester. This project will be a meaningful opportunity for young people to learn about the history and experiences of Indian soldiers who served in the First World War.”

Notes to editors

About Golden Tours Foundation

The Golden Tours Foundation is a charitable organisation established in 2013 to offer life-changing opportunities for people to help fulfil their aspirational goals. It has a broad spectrum of charitable aims nurturing on the philosophy of personal, social and economic growth. The Foundation, in particular, pays emphasis to projects related to the ‘younger generation’. Its ethos is to secure opportunities for the future generations by working for and with them. Only by such inclusive partnerships, is there hope for future social and economic wealth for us all.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund

Heritage Lottery Fund - Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.
www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery

For further information:

Golden Tours Foundation: Nitin Palan (Chair) npalan@goldentoursfoundation.co.uk , or Jane Roemer (fundraiser and compliance manager) jroemer@goldentoursfoundation.co.uk

Heritage Lottery Fund: Felix Gott, Communications Manager, 020 7591 6138 Golden Tours Foundation