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Eric Pickles with Gerald Howarth
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Eric Pickles confirms final Nepalese funding

By Tim Harris
September 18, 2012

GOVERNMENT secretary for communities and local government Eric Pickles has visited Aldershot and Farnborough to meet with Nepalese residents.

Mr Pickles arrived on September 12 to learn about the work being done to help integrate former Gurkha soldiers and their families into the area.

During his visit Mr Pickles took the opportunity to announce the final instalment of funding from the government – a £150,000 payment towards English language lessons, described as 'vital' in helping Nepalese people settle in local communities.

Of this payment, £46,000 will go to a cluster of authorities, including Rushmoor, in north Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire.

Rushmoor Borough Council was given a £500,000 grant by Mr Pickles in February through the government's Gurkha Settlement fund, to fund Nepalese integration projects.

The council has since been awarded a further £400,000 from the £1.5 million settlement fund, bringing the total grant up to £900,000.

Mr Pickles spent three hours in Rushmoor, and met with Aldershot and Farnborough MP Gerald Howarth, leader of Rushmoor Borough Council Andrew Lloyd, leader of the council Peter Moyle and other council staff involved in supporting local communities.

The secretary of state also met with staff from the Aldershot Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB), Hampshire Police, Nepalese community leaders and volunteers – which included Nepalese young people.

Mr Pickles said: “These brave British army veterans have given our country loyal service over many years.

“It is their bravery that has helped protect our way of life and our traditions and it is right that their dedication is honoured.

“Many of these ex-servicemen and their families have been proud to call this country their home and we too are proud of the strong ties that have been established between the ex-Gurkhas, their families and their wider communities.

“We are determined that if they chose to settle in the UK to see that they and their families are treated with dignity and respect and are made to feel welcome.”

Mr Pickles visit to Rushmoor follows a meeting early this year between the secretary of state, Mr Howarth, Mr Lloyd and Cllr Moyle at the House of Commons.

This meeting was held to discuss the impact on Aldershot and Farnborough and impact on local services of the large number of former Gurkha soldiers and their dependents arriving in the borough over a short time.

“We were extremely pleased to welcome Mr Pickles to the borough and to show him the work we have been doing to help develop strong local communities,” added Cllr Moyle.

“Over the last couple of years, we have seen significant pressure on services in Aldershot and Farnborough because of the arrival of large numbers of former Gurkha soldiers and their dependents.

“Mr Pickles has been consistent in his understanding of our local issues and his willingness to support us. We are very grateful for his continued support and for taking the time to visit the borough.”

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that was a good debate

bluesy
15/10/2012 at 16:45

20th Century immigrants, that is *ahem*

BlisteringBarnacles! , Farnborough
30/09/2012 at 23:33

Britain's fortunes have always been built on the backs of immigration. Countless peoples have come here over the millenia, some in peace, some as conquerers. Some brought their civilisation with them (the Romans, the Normans), others their language (Vikings and Anglo-Saxons) and others still their religion and cuisine (think the Jews and the 20th immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and the Caribbean).

Although it's true to say that this island is now more diverse than it's ever been, we've never been a monoculture. Even disregarding modern immigration, it can still be said that there are at least 5 native peoples occupying this damp rock of ours in the Atlantic. Just try to think of the Nepalese are merely the latest chapter in an ancient story of immigration, that started long before the English even existed and will continue long after our great-grandchildren are in their graves.

BlisteringBarnacles! , Farnborough
30/09/2012 at 23:33

Well Mr concerned we've been one of the whitest, most culturally un-diverse places in the country until this happened, so I guess it's all a bit much for you. I seem to remember most people backing the call for extra funding for these purposes, but now we've got it .... just moaning. I suspect that all along, Mr Howarth and those of his leaning wanted these guys run out of town in an attempt to preserve our sad delusions that planet Earth is something you encounter after a journey beyond the motorway junction or train station. How dare we bring the outside world in to invade our ivory towers. Give us back our doomed cr&p towns where we moan endlessly about our misery, just so long as we all look and talk the same.

SpongeBob NoPants, Farnborough
30/09/2012 at 18:28

All the time we are paying for interpreters and special staff what incentive is there to learn English the language of this OUR country. Maybe if they had to pay for interpreters themselves it may happen sooner. Its all very well most of them moving here because there is a nepalese community set up and they want to be part of and close to family members, this is at the expense of the local community who have to move away to get a house, away from where they were born and bred and have friends and family. And if their community is so strong why cant those who do speak the language help those who dont and save us a fortune.

concerned Farnborough
27/09/2012 at 18:26

Yes it is laughable here in this country, this goverment and past goverments are only interested in cutting us back to give to others in foreign couuntries.

In the beginning of this article I stated that the funding should cover all that live in this area, not just a few!.

Funding for these people just to learn English will not benefit us like others have stated, its just taking money from tax payers that are struggling to pay their own way !

The cuts have only just started if you go by what the tv and newspapers state and the locals will have to give a lot up if this is the case.

Everyone knows we are short of homes yet when a friend left the forces with wife and 3 children and they were told by this borough their was no where for them to live in their home town and now have to live in wiltshire away from family and friends, yet sorry to say the Nepalease have found homes?, and yet because local people ask why is this happerning we are in the wrong and is classed as a racis comment when in fact it is not.

Just a excuse not to answer the questions they are asked.

By the way to Spongebob Nopants answer to following:-Try doing a GCSE in Spanish , then hold a conversation with a doctor in Madrid on the potential treatments for high blood pressure.... After a year you might have a chance, but he'll probably tell you in English. Well we are afterall talking about the Gurkha soldier who has spent over 4 years plus to get the right to live here, they learn't english while they were based in this country so why can they not speak english now?

PJA
26/09/2012 at 11:32

Laughable. "like we do when we go abroad to live in another country we learn to speak their language" Try doing a GCSE in Spanish , then hold a conversation with a doctor in Madrid on the potential treatments for high blood pressure.... After a year you might have a chance, but he'll probably tell you in English.

It is true that other non English do not have local funding for settlement, but have a look at who we might be talking about, EU members? Commonwealth members ? I would wager these people are looked after OK and are not so great in numbers.

SpongeBob NoPants, Farnborough
26/09/2012 at 10:28

Yes but when other non english come to our area they do not and have not got any funding for coming to settle here!

As for the Gurkha's they were taught to speak english when in the British Forces in past years and now, I don't think it is fair that if some one comes to the uk to live they would sought themselves out to learn English, like we do when we go abroad to live in another country we learn to speak their language, tax payers from those countries do not pay for you to learn their language.

PJA
26/09/2012 at 08:23

@SpongeBob: Well said.

@PJA: Just because the money doesn't get piped through straight to you and your family doesn't mean that you won't benefit from it.

BlisteringBarnacles! , Farnborough
25/09/2012 at 16:09

PJA You don't seem to get it. People were moaning about the rising numbers of non english speaking resisents affecting sefvices at the council, doctors and the hospital. Gerald Howarth asked for funding, it was identified that employing some nepali workers would help, but a better solution would be to educate the people. This is aimed at easing the workflow problems that caused the complaints. Therefore this benefits all. If the government gave everyone an extra £500 a year in Rushmoor, we'd all take it and then loads of people would moan that there continues to be an issue with services and none of the nepalese are integrating properly. If you want to stop suffering on a more general scale then get Osbourne and Cameron out at the General Election. It is economic suicide to attempt cuts in a recession in a forlorn hope of reducing debt, you can only pay debt off by speeding up growth which in turn increases tax revenue and enables a reduction in public sector spending, cuts during a recession has the opposing effect as the private sector is unable to respond to the streamlining of public spend, less corporation tax,income tax, higher welfare bill, double dip recession, maybe a depression.

SpongeBob NoPants, Farnborough
25/09/2012 at 12:24

Every one goes on saying that Aldershot is the Home of British Army yet it is not treated this way, their are thousands of troops in this town.

And thousands of residents in this borough suffering from cuts and yet because some speak out we are in the wrong, afterall this is our country and why we are suppose to have freedom of speech, only when it suits some!

Everyone in the borough is suffering so why do some get funding and others are left by the wayside.

Their are many articles on this newspaper where it tells you of the closures and people struggling yet when funding is given to a few people - others want to know why we are suppose to suffer?.

someone quoted on another story the following:-Come on people, countless men and women have died and suffered for your political freedoms, all you need to do in order to repay their sacrifice is take a bit of an interest and when the time comes VOTE.

Then why are the families of our troops suffering in our Home of the British army?

PJA
25/09/2012 at 08:37

@PJA: I am not telling you who you are (for all we know we could know each other in real life without realising). I am making a theory based on your posts.The fact that some of your family is in the Armed Forces does not excuse you from being scrutinised for what you say.

And instead of answering me back with an argument to defend yourself and / or your position you take the easy option yet again of referring to unrelated topics.

BlisteringBarnacles! , Farnborough
24/09/2012 at 23:18

@SpongeBob

The cretins may not want to hear that:

>> our standing as the most prosperous nation on earth was down to empire building, slavery and plunder;

>> those several hundred years built the platform that enabled our welfare system and placed us at the centre of the global economy;

>> our empire stood by us in global conflict and then aided the rebuilding of post war nation upon our request;

but hear they shall.

unhappy (now disgusted)
24/09/2012 at 12:57

Unhappy, people of modern Britain simply do not want to hear of our debt and responsibility in historical record. Those with a problem will vent it and scorn those who talk of the past. The fact that our standing as the most prosperous nation on earth was down to empire building, slavery and plunder is of little interest to those who feel they are special by their fortune of birthplace. The fact that those several hundred years built the platform that enabled our welfare system and placed us at the centre of the global economy is irrelevant. The fact that our empire stood by us in global conflict and then aided the rebuilding of post war nation upon our request is not of interest. As for this funding, it would seem that we are in a impossible position. If the Nepalese were not here no funding would be requested, so I'm not sure what Pickles/Rushmoor is supposed to do ? Sounds like you'd rather they'd said no.

SpongeBob NoPants, Farnborough
24/09/2012 at 12:25

....continued

Prior to the outbreak of WW-I, the strength of the British Indian Army was 155,000. By November 1918, the Indian Army rose in size to 573,000 men.While nearly 700,000 served in the Middle East, fighting against the Turks in the Mesopotamian campaign. Indians' first engagement was on the Western Front within a month of the start of the war, at the First Battle of Ypres. Here, Garwhal Rifles were involved in the war's first trench raid on 9–10 November 1914 and Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to win a Victoria Cross.

Participants from the Indian subcontinent won 13,000 medals, including 12 Victoria Crosses. By the end of the war a total of 47,746 Indians had been reported dead or missing; 65,126 were wounded.

"At the outbreak of the WW-II, the Indian army numbered 205,000 men. Later on during the WW-II the Indian Army would become the largest all-volunteer force in history, rising to over 2.5 million men in size."

"About 87,000 Indian soldiers lost their lives during this conflict. Indian soldiers won 30 Victoria Crosses during the WW-II."

The Indians served in all forms of warfare: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/why-noor-inayat-khan-the-indian-princess-104346