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Cllr Crawford at a recent Nepalese charity cycle
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Mayor sets up pro-Gurkha Facebook group

By Pete Castle
October 06, 2011

PEOPLE are showing their support for the area’s Nepalese community by signing up in their hundreds to a new website.

We Love the Gurkhas was set up by Rushmoor Mayor Alex Crawford, an Aldershot councillor for the Heron Wood ward, as a counterpoint to other Facebook campaigns that have highlighted the problems caused by Nepalese immigration to the area.

The group has attracted more than 600 members during its first week.

On the group’s website, Cllr Crawford said that with Aldershot being the home of the British Army, anyone who had any forces knowledge knew of the Gurkhas’ strong links with Britain.

“We welcome the Gurkhas and their families – whether serving soldiers or veterans – into our community,” he said.

“The British government needs to give proper resources to provide the services that everyone in our community requires, particularly when the number of Gurkha veterans and their wives is increasing."

While groups such as Lumley’s Legacy, which attracted thousands of followers, also highlighted a need for more government help in the Aldershot area – and its organisers stressed the need to keep racist comments out of the debate – there has been concern that some of the opinions expressed have been harmful to race relations.

We Love the Gurkhas’ aims state that its members support the purpose of the Nepalese Help charity.

This works towards the integration of people originally from Nepal, with mainstream British society.

It also backed the statement issued by Aldershot Churches Together, the joint group of 10 church leaders in Aldershot, which last week called for unity among everyone living in the town.

The website states it is an opportunity for people locally to ‘express our love for the Gurkhas’.

Meanwhile, Gurkha and Nepalese welfare groups are warning that more needs to be done now to plan for the future public service demands in the Surrey and Hampshire border area.

The rise in the number of retired Gurkhas and their wives has led to a demographic change that has already put pressure on public services, such as doctors’ surgeries and housing advice, but the next pressures are likely to fall on social services and care homes, the groups said.

After a meeting with Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth last week, Tikendra Dewan, British Gurkha Welfare Society chairman and Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community president, said that more long-term planning was now needed to cope with the care requirements of Gurkha veterans in later life, who, he said, would soon be needing access to care homes.

Mr Dewan added: “While the Gurkhas love the UK and its people, we must accept that many have moved here to access a quality of life denied to them in Nepal.

“Granting them equal pensions will allow them their preference of returning to friends and family in Nepal and relieve the UK of an increasingly costly burden of care as these veterans reach the later stages of their lives and need greater support, perhaps including access to care homes.”

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I am surperised the Mayor 'loves' gurkhas.

I thought these politicians ONLY loved themselves and served themselves?

So he must be jumping on a bandwagon to further his own interests.

unhappy (now disgusted)
15/11/2011 at 14:47

We dont need any more people in this country FULL STOP.

mal, ALDERSHOT
28/10/2011 at 13:58

Im an Ex Gurkha Soldier served 16 years in the British Army around the world. My retirement was officially compulsory at 16 years but army pension is just nearly £100 per month which is not enough to pay any bills. I did like to serve 22 years for full pension which any British soldier does but being a Gurkha, I had to leave at that points of service and not full pension. Thinking about the this system that how this happened?? Now Im here in uk to have any form of job to live. I have a little job and bought a house to live. I have not taken a penny from benefit or govt. but if im paid reasonable army pension just as other british counter part, I would not be here in the uk. If British Government is really cleaver, they should increase Gurkha pension, then they would not be here because of a old Gurkha soldier, they have been spending almost £2200 per month per person from various department such as benefit, housing, medical and bus passes etc.. But its not all MOD is facing unfair Gurkha pension case in court of human right in European court which will kneel down the UK Government. This all happened because of Government's unfair policy system.

Tharka Sen Farnborough

T Sen
23/10/2011 at 00:29

Reply to London Zone 2, London. You have it all wrong - I think the Gurkha's have a right to live here - I would love them to be my neighbours. Members of my family were in the army and some are still and are fighting next to this great soldiers.

What I am saying is that Rushmoor it self especially Aldershot has been run down for over 30 years we have nothing here really = yes we use to be a large garrision town but thousands of soldiers have moved up and down the country - did you know that the army was moving out of aldershot? [I bet you didn't badly informed just like the Gurkha's].

We have not got the homes for the people that allready are here - some have to wait over 8-10yrs for a home - we have for many years been promised more homes - but nothing has happerned yet.

All I was saying is that we haven't got the funding here to have so many people come here all at once - it is down to the past goverments and their funding for our town that we are in this mess - and because the residents of our town speaking out we are in this problem.

Most residents want them to come here and be happy - but the funding is needed now not later!

Aldershot Born
18/10/2011 at 09:04

I, like many, used to admire and respect the Ghurkas. Now, its all changed. It was smart brave Ghurka soldiers in the town. Now its wizened old women and men, teenagers and a few working as security guards. Where they ever Ghurka soldiers - who knows? "People are showing their support". What people is that then? Nepalese people? There isn't too many longer term residents showing support I'll bet.

Its Douglas
18/10/2011 at 01:08

ALDERSHOT BORN: It was Cameron and Clegg who opportunistically jumped at the chance to stand against Gordon Brown for preventing emigration for the Gurkhas pre-1997 and stood shoulder to shoulder with JL outside Parliament in order to attract votes in the general election ,but who are now, having got what they wanted, are reneging on their obligation to inject sufficient funds into Aldershot to fund the consequences of the Gurkhas and their families' arrival. Whether you like it or not, because of untold pressure placed on him and his Government, Mr Brown succumbed to the will of the people, (especially Joanna Lumley who waylaid, Phil Woollas, a Labour MP, while he was in the BBC studios, and imposed herself in a most aggressive manner placing him in an impossible situation), and allowed their entry. That they choose to live in Aldershot is their right and it is obvious that they hold good memories of this town as most of them served at some time there. They are a conservative people and feel secure in the town. Anyone, especially those in Aldershot, using racist language and actions, should be arrested and charged accordingly.

As for the groups of Nepali youths, this is obviously a defence mechanism to protect themselves and their families. They obvious feel the hostility against them, which they could cut with a knife (metaphorically-speaking of course).

Get hold of CAMERON and CLEGG and demand their immediate action.

London Zone 2, London
16/10/2011 at 12:15

I have requested 3 times to to join the closed group 'We love the Gurkhas', and 3 times I have had my request denied!...

I am a lifelong resident of Rushmoor, both my Grandfathers were serving soldiers, yet I'm denied membership of a group which I believed was set up to help the community and the integration of the nepalese into our towns.

How is denying my request to join this group assisting in the integration of ALL.

So Mr Mayor, why is it that I am excluded?........

Excluded_Resident, Farnborough
15/10/2011 at 22:30

For all those who are fighting for more funding for our borough then should sign the following:-http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/17313

Funding should be for all residents of Aldershot / Farnborough because for many years our Borough has not had funding and all that get voted by us the residents have not been looking after our needs - some will have to look at how they treat their residents when voting comes round next year since the following is happening :=http://www.rushmoor.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=11054.

Maybe those who comment that don't live here should come to our town and then they can comment because we are not that big here - Aldershot itself has no council offices - not enough housing for the people who allready live here let alone for any other people coming to live here, we are not the large army town we use to be many years ago, we have not got the infurstructure or housing or jobs to cope with thousands of people coming to live here.

Where does the goverment and Mr Crawford expect these people to live?.

I feel very sorry for the Gurkhas and their families that come to the united kingdom because they have been made to think that they will be coming to a place where they will get a home more money to live on and a better life than they had at home in Nepal - which when they get here they find is not the truth, maybe the goverment should look into all those who are making money from these lovely people to get them here in the first place = those who are promising them a better life in the uk,

The Gurkhas are lovely and did not deserve to be treated like this - nor did the people in Rushmoor who live here either because we are expected to take the strain because when the Labour goverment gave in and allowed thousands of Gurkhas to come to an area that could not cope in the first place money should of been given to our borough to help us cope but now expect another goverment that took over to take the blame for not giving funding to our borough, sorry Mr Crawford but this was labours fault in the first place isn't it?.

Look at this story:-

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/47751,news-comment,news-politics,gurkhas-win-right-to-stay-in-uk

Now our borough needs help now!! before thousands of other people come here so please sign the petition above then the goverment might do something about it and make life better for all residents of Aldershot and Farnborough.

Aldershot Born
14/10/2011 at 07:33

114,000 new people on the dole

Yep let’s keep bringing more and more people in........maybe the Mayor can tell me where they will work, be housed, educated and nursed.

Yep, lets completely mess this country up...........more riots to follow in the future, how nice.

doormon, Aldershot
12/10/2011 at 12:05

Thank you Alex Crawford. We should and must welcome with open arms our good friends the Gurkhas and their families, wherever they wish to live in the UK. That is up to them. They are entitled to be here and must be offered every service that is available to all of us. I hope the Mr Cameron does not go back on his word and will provide all necessary financial assistance to assist where necessary.

The majority of British people love the Gurkhas and welcome them to live here in peace.

Sylvia Sim, London
12/10/2011 at 02:32

We cant take anymore in our rescourses cannot cope FACT...

pcamm, aldershot
11/10/2011 at 16:08

Please hand me a bucket I want to be sick

werfnala, Farnborough
10/10/2011 at 08:12

Let me start by saying I am a member of Lumley’s Legacy and I am absolutely for integration and have utmost respect for the Gurkhas, who fought and still fight for this country, as do many others in the LL group, although occasionally some members voicing their frustrations the mission of that group can go off course but is bought back into line by the admin team. However in this group we accept freedom of speech, as that after all is one of the things our fathers and forefathers before them fought for and I would have thought a Mayor would want to hear the views, worries and opinions of ALL people within the Borough they represent, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with them surely it is part of a mayors duties and a starting point for communication, issues to be dealt with and major part of the integration process? Lets be honest the major problems within Rushmoor have actually been caused by those in authority not taking the necessary actions required to manage mass immigration into one area . Does the Mayors group also welcome debate or is it purely for yes men and politicians who don’t like answering awkward yet at times very relevant questions, without which integration will stand no chance of working or just for everyone to make posts how much they love each ? ….It would appear the Mayors group doesn’t like any questions at all as when I asked if members deleted had been racist I too got kicked out, I would have thought that was an appropriate question and one that deserved an answer not just delete me from the group straight away! Even a Nepalese member asked what had been said but got the political answer that as it had been deleted it wouldn’t be appropriate to repeat ( they didn’t got the boot like me though!)...great political response - avoid answering questions at all costs -This is hardly the action for a group whose mission statement is saying working for integration within the community of which I am very much part of as are my parents and parents before them!. It was interesting to note for the very short time I was allowed to stay, well until I made that one post to be exact, that there are many Nepalese members and members from around the country but the ratio of long term Rushmoor residents is very low, one has to wonder why this is, which community is he exactly working for and how can he claim he wants his borough to integrate when one word and your out? And just so no one is in doubt I reiterate I too respect and admire the Gurkhas and appreciate many have lost their lives fighting for this country alongside British soldiers.