Chairman of Peterborough Nepalese Society chats about social cohesion and integration, and reveals plans for Nepali New Year

The Peterborough Nepalese Society (PNS) has been helping the growing Nepali community to thrive in Peterborough since 2007.

According to the Peterborough Nepalese Society, a lady by the name of Yamuna Waldron was the first Nepali immigrant to arrive in Peterborough in 1984.

Today, there are estimated to be around 500 Nepalis living within the city.

As is often the case, many of these first- and second-generation arrivals moved to the UK in search of a better life and greater opportunities for their children.

Keshab Khatiwada, who moved to Peterborough in 2007, is the chairman of the Peterborough Nepalese Society.

The Peterborough Nepalese Society (PNS) has been – and indeed continues to be – the first port of call for many new arrivals.

Founded in 2007 by a small group of Nepali immigrants, the PNS is effectively a community hub and outreach centre rolled into one.The society’s chairman, Keshab Khatiwada, told the Peterborough Telegraph that, even though the PNS puts on a wide range of community activities and events for the established Nepali community, its focus still remains on helping and supporting new arrivals.

“The people coming from Nepal, they badly miss their families,” he explained.

“The cultural activities [put on by the PNS] ‘fill a gap’ so that they don’t feel lonely.”

The Peterborough Nepalese Society runs a wide range of community events and activities, with everything from badminton, cricket and martial arts to barbecues, seaside trips and motivational talks offered throughout the year.

Keshab knows how it feels to miss loved ones.

When he first arrived in the UK in 2007, he had to leave his young children at home in Nepal for a year, as he wanted to be sure the prospects of moving to Britain were as promising as he had dreamed they would be.

Happily, Keshab was immediately impressed with his newly adopted home.

The 51-year-old remembers arriving at his cousin’s house near Spalding warmly.“It was a very good feeling,” he recalls

“I liked pretty much everything: the cleanliness, the people, the cultures - everything.”

While Keshab had the ‘luxury’ of having a well-informed contact to greet him upon arrival, this is, sadly, not the case for some Nepali arrivals these days

“They are coming and they are not getting any knowledge or help about what to do or what not to do,” he explains.

This is another area where the PNS is ready to step in.“We help them find a job if possible,” he says, “and guide them through legal things, too.”

Keshab believes that the famed friendliness and openness of Nepali people has been instrumental in helping to establish a thriving community within Peterborough.

“Nepali people generally integrate quite well,” he offers.

“We are quite liberal: we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate Diwali - we get along with everyone easily!”

Talk of celebrations brings us neatly onto the small matter Nepali New Year, which falls within the second week of April.

The PNS is currently in the midst of an admin frenzy, booking stages, decoration teams and performers to help ensure celebrants get to see in 2081 (we are currently living in the year 2080 on the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar) with a bang.

“We have a lot of things to do,” Keshab admits

“Around 3-400 people will be coming,” he says, adding “and we also have the Nepalese ambassador [to the UK] coming along, too.”

Characteristically, Keshab and the PNS are eager to extend an invite to anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they are Nepali or not.

“Everybody is invited to come along,” he says, merrily.