Prof. Peter Virdee Blog

The Virdee Foundation

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 15:15:58 GMT

www.thevirdeefoundation.com

Through the set up and establishment of The Virdee Foundation , Prof. Peter Virdee has been able to have an invaluable impact through his commitment and dedication in supporting worldwide causes. Over the years, a considerable amount has been donated to various charities, including:

Peter Virdee's Philanthropy

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 12:36:45 GMT

“I am a firm believer in giving but when I look back at my business life, I was as ruthless as anyone. It was ‘me’ – or ‘you’. Now I know it’s all about getting rid of ego and self-importance in business. This has come through experience.”

Whether it is helping disadvantaged children in India, Pakistan or in the West,Prof. Peter’s enthusiasm extends to both major and minor charities, some of which are listed below. The Virdee foundation has helped Bharuch Welfare Hospital in India’s state of Gujarat, and has helped to build St Paul’s Children Care Centre in Nairobi.

He has also set up the Sardar Jagat Singh Charitable Trust in India, named after his late grandfather. This charity has sponsored some 80 children into primary education to help them to step out into the world on the right foot. It has also carried out 400 successful cataract operations in India, thereby looking after both ends of the age spectrum.

Five centuries ago, Sikhism began with Guru Nanak. As the story goes, he was given 20 rupees by his father to go and learn to trade. Instead, he gave the money away to the poor and homeless, and came home with nothing.

Some of the charities supported

Bibangwa School

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 12:45:00 GMT

Children in Crisis is delighted to announce the inauguration of the Bibangwa School, generously funded through a partnership between the charity The Virdee Foundation. Two hours’ walk from the nearest road, the new school is set on the High Plateau in South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo, The school formally opened on 19 August and is already filled with 165 children.

Originally completed in April, formally inaugurating the L-shaped school with its six classrooms had to be postponed because rebel groups moving across the Plateau made it too dangerous for visitors to travel for inaugural celebrations. Communities living in this area have suffered decades of neglect by the government, as well as a conflict involving many rebel groups. The existing dark and overcrowded school had been built using sticks and mud. Its teachers were untrained and unqualified.

As a result of this, Bibangwa’s children are at the extremes of isolation, where they are receiving no help or investment from the government or other organisations. The former wattle and daub school, built by a resourceful community who are desperate for their children to learn, was unfortunately ruined by the Plateau’s torrential rains.

“We had waited so long for this day. All the children and their parents were there; most of whom had actually helped to build the school. There were speeches from the Headmaster, local chiefs, the School Building Committee, Ebenezer Ministries and the local church and from Children in Crisis as the keys were handed over. Contracts were signed on a table piled high with dictionaries, textbooks, pencils, paper and footballs. The village choir sang and there was dancing as we opened bright blue doors into light classrooms. I have seen many new schools in my role at Children in Crisis and this is by far the most impressive.” stated Thea Lacey, Programme Manager at Children in Crisis

Thanks to the Virdee Foundation’s support, they have been able to work with Bibangwa’s parents to construct the new, durable, six-classroom school for their children. The new school has been named after The Virdee Foundation and is known as “The Virdee School”. It is a community-owned and community-run school that has been established in a safe and dry place for future generations of the children of Bibangawa to attend, who now have the opportunity to learn and enhance their growth, knowledge and development in both education and life.

Bibangwa’s Old School

A leaking roof is unable to protect the children nor the classroom posters from the rainfall.

Bibangwa’s previous school was built through a significant effort from the community, using local traditional techniques. It was a bamboo frame construction with white clay walls. Though these techniques can work quite well for domestic dwellings, they did not work well at all for classrooms, providing an unstable and unsettling place for children to learn. The fundamental absence of large, frequently-tended fireplaces in schools, meant that the walls were crumbling and the foundation was deteriorating, as there was no heat or smoke to dry and preserve the clay which is a critical element required to sustain the main structure. Due to this, the Plateau’s heavy rainfalls quickly degraded the corrugated tin roof making the classroom structure an unsafe and unfit habitat for children to learn. As a result of this, the foundations of the classrooms were cold, muddy and often wet – especially when the Plateau’s heavy rainfalls come during wet seasons restricting children to attend class sessions and learn.

The untreated and thin corrugated metal roofing sheets rusted through the classroom’s structure much long ago.

Space was also an issue – there simply wasn’t enough room for the school’s 165 students in its four small classrooms. Though unstable, the bamboo benches gave some students a place to sit within a minimal capacity, however, the real difficulty and challenge they were facing was having no desks to support their books when they were writing, and therefore having to balance their books and write on their laps.

An absence of desks forces children to write in books perched on their laps. The rocks were used as benches when the classroom became too full.

The Virdee Foundation’s Mission Statement

‘To relieve the needs of women and children who have or who are in danger of suffering mental, physical or sexual abuse.’

Our report on the condition of Bibangwa’s school, and the conditions in which children are trying to learn, left The Virdee Foundation in no doubt – that their support will bring lasting improvements to the mental and physical wellbeing of Bibangwa’s children.

The New School

Bibangwa School has 165 children, between 7 and 14 years of age. 85 of these are girls and 80 are boys. They are taught in Swahili, learning to read and write, numeracy, science and French. But their education goes well beyond this. The involvement of Batwa families in building the school meant that many of their children are enrolled in school for the first time; mixing with children from other tribes and establishing an understanding of one another from an early age. Understanding and respect will play a vital part in promoting inter-ethnic peace in the future.

The construction of the new Bibangwa school has been built with durable materials – solid brick walls with deep foundations, galvanized (rust resistant) metal roofing sheets, and cement floors. It has been designed to last and to protect children from the cold weather and heavy rainfall.

The new desks and benches in the school’s six classrooms now provide every child with a place to comfortably sit and learn in a stable and fit capacity. They’ll no longer have to stoop over books and write in books perched on their laps, and the windows allow natural light to illuminate the classrooms for children to be able to learn without having the unpleasant distraction of an uncomfortable and unfit environment, with damp and dark surroundings.

The following images are from other schools which we’ve built on the Plateau and provide an idea of the new school known as “The Virdee School” of which the children of Bibangwa are now able to attend:

Thick, galvanized metal roofing sheets and guttering keep rain out of the classrooms

Benches and desks, made by local carpenters, allow the children to sit and write in comfort and stability.

Partnership

Partnership has been the driving force behind the construction of Bibangwa’s new school – between Children in Crisis, The Virdee Foundation, EMI (our local Congolese partners), and the parents of Bibangwa.

Children in Crisis has been working with their local partner, Ebenezer Ministry International (EMI), to educate and protect children on the Plateau for the past ten years. By building new schools and training teachers, Children in Crisis aims to reach every child and create the opportunity for them to break out of the cycle of poverty, isolation and conflict.

The contributions made by the Bibangwa community have been critically important for the successful establishment of The Virdee School. Bibangwa is one of the most remote places in which we have undertaken school construction, therefore we wouldn’t have been able to achieve our mission if it wasn’t for the significant help provided by the local community. Trucks have had to offload building materials at the end of one of the few dirt roads which serve the area. One of the many contributions from the community has been to physically carry these materials, including heavy metal roofing materials, by hand or head on a 2-hour walk over hilly terrain to Bibangwa due to the lack of infrastructure and transport availability in the area.

Koy Thomson, Chief Executive of Children in Crisis, said “On hearing of our mission to reach the forgotten and most disadvantaged children in remote and often conflict affected environments, Professor Peter Virdee showed no hesitation in reaching out to us to ask how a partnership with The Virdee Foundation might be able to help us improve the lives of more children. From the earliest days, the Virdee Foundation has shown a depth of critical understanding and engagement which has helped work through all obstacles and difficulties; such as when resurgent conflict delayed the school inauguration”.

The amazing work has finally been completed through the immense efforts and contributions from both our Partners and Bibangwa’s local community…

EMI, our Congolese partners, have worked closely with Bibangwa’s parents to help them successfully complete the construction work of the new school. The following images show the community members carrying stones, which were being gathered for the school’s foundations. The first image below shows structures of bamboo cages that were laid out, where each cage represented the foundation stones that were collected by one family – as a result, you can see there were plenty of families involved where women were doing very much of the heavy work.

“The location of this school was particularly challenging.” said Thea Lacey, Programme Manager of Children in Crisis. “The Plateau has very few roads, and all of these are dirt tracks, passable only at some times of the year. The school itself has no roads leading to it, only footpaths, requiring a demanding trek with building materials, often carried on the heads of the parents of the children. It is a remarkable commitment by local communities, only made possible by the partnership with the Virdee Foundation.”

Foundations stones were being gathered by the local community members. Each bamboo basket individually represented a different family’s contribution illustrating the number of families involved in this tremendous project.

Women who were gathering foundation stones (more like rocks!)

The contract, in which EMI, Children in Crisis and Bibangwa community agreed to our responsibilities in the successful development and construction of the new school was also signed off. As shown below, the Head of the Women’s Committee, who was helping with the construction of the new school, signed her signature on the school construction contract.

The Head of the Women’s Committee signs the school construction contract.

Koy Thomson, Chief Executive of Children in Crisis stated “I very much hope that our partnership with The Virdee Foundation will go from strength to strength. Good partnerships are founded on shared values, celebrating what we achieve while also enduring challenges. These are qualities that have been amply demonstrated in this new school, our first step together”.

The Virdee Foundation Works with Midland Langar Seva Society & Emile Heskey

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 12:10:00 GMT

On Monday, 11th of September, The Midland Langar Seva Society – along with the help of The Virdee Foundation, and volunteers conducted a charitable offering of food and drinks to the homeless.

Prof. Peter Virdee featured at recent CAF Event

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:26:00 GMT

More people, more power – how partnerships can multiply the impact of your international giving

David Stead, Executive Director of Philanthropy and Development, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)

What makes the perfect partnership? And what role does this play in helping achieve greater social impact with your charitable giving overseas?
Philanthropists living in the UK with cultural roots around the world are increasingly looking to explore the effect of these questions. This audience is often highly engaged with a deep-rooted sense of empathy towards the challenges facing people in need in the countries where their parents or grandparents grew up. Here at CAF, we have seen a rise in international giving. Last year, CAF Private Clients – many of whom are members of ‘diaspora’ communities in the UK – donated £156 million worldwide to good causes in 2015, an increase of 33%.

"I was delighted to have the opportunity to explore this further at a recent breakfast event that CAF hosted in partnership with Spear’s Magazine, where we brought together a panel of experts in international giving to discuss how partnering with the right people or organisations can maximise the impact of philanthropy overseas."

Professor Peter Virdee of The Virdee Foundation talked about the importance of their work with charity partners in the field to help transform lives around the world. In order to improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in India – one of their chosen causes – The Virdee Foundation works with local charities and follows a diligent verification procedure before selecting new organisations to partner with.

Professor Virdee feels strongly that, before entering into a partnership with an NGO, it is imperative to know their aims and motivations inside out and discuss what would happen in the event that the partnership breaks down – just like what one might do in a marriage. By using this model to partner with local community organisations, The Virdee Foundation has supported hundreds of women and children in need across India in the most effective – and impactful – way.

We also heard from Paul Kidner, General Manager of The People’s Trust, an organisation which aims to tackle unemployment in Greece through entrepreneurship.

The People’s Trust works with a wide variety of partners from business coaching services and NGOs to banks and microfinance companies in order to offer young Greek entrepreneurs the opportunity, finance and resources required to thrive. This multi-faceted approach to partnering means that The People’s Trust is able to support aspiring entrepreneurs with start-up loans, grants, mentoring and coaching. In turn, these new businesses create employment for those in need and contribute to the recovery of the Greek economy. Paul describes this as a “multiplier effect” – when The People’s Trust supports one new business, it is also supporting the families of people employed there and this has a wider social impact on the Greek community and economy.

It was fascinating and inspiring to hear Professor Virdee and Paul’s first-hand account of their challenges, experiences and the difference they have made. It gave me a clear insight into the amazing things that are being achieved on a global scale and the role in which myself and my team here at CAF can play in being a perfect partner to support high-net-worth donors.
CAF operates in nine different countries across six countries, allowing us to harness local knowledge and expertise on the ground level so that we can support tax-effective giving on a global scale. Our donor-advised fund, the CAF Charitable Trust, is an ideal giving vehicle for those seeking to create change around the world and our team of experts will support you at every step. We carefully verify any charities operating overseas to ensure that we minimise risks and to ascertain that your donation is going to where its impact will be the greatest. We have access to the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance which uses an online tool to connect global givers all over the world to enable you to learn from others working in this area of philanthropy. CAF has access to ‘giving circles’ where donors with a shared cultural identity can join together to pool their funds and achieve a greater social impact. If you would like to know more about how we can support your international philanthropy to change lives.

Our donor-advised fund, the CAF Charitable Trust, is an ideal giving vehicle for those seeking to create change around the world and our team of experts will support you at every step. We carefully verify any charities operating overseas to ensure that we minimise risks and to ascertain that your donation is going to where its impact will be the greatest. We have access to the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance which uses an online tool to connect global givers all over the world to enable you to learn from others working in this area of philanthropy. CAF has access to ‘giving circles’ where donors with a shared cultural identity can join together to pool their funds and achieve a greater social impact.

We have access to the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance which uses an online tool to connect global givers all over the world to enable you to learn from others working in this area of philanthropy. CAF has access to ‘giving circles’ where donors with a shared cultural identity can join together to pool their funds and achieve a greater social impact.

Podcast With Prof. Peter Virdee

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:39:00 GMT

On this special episode of the Social Enterprise Podcast, Rupert Scofield, President of FINCA International joins philanthropist Professor Peter Virdee. An entrepreneur, Peter’s business interests span real estate, renewal energy, minerals trading, and insurance broking. Committed to helping some of the world’s poorest and most needy people, he has said it is his ambition to give away half of his wealth. Founder of The Virdee Foundation, he is also a patron of the NSPCC, is on the board of the English National Operator, and sat on the philanthropy advisory board of Coutts & Co. He talks about his motivations for giving, explains his approach to philanthropy, and reveals how he chooses between different causes.

https://overcast.fm/+BnNWZuVCw/

Spear’s Magazine : Prof. Peter Virdee & Kids For Kids

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 11:49:00 GMT

The Giver: Prof. Peter Virdee, a property magnate and chairman of the Virdee Foundation, which strives to help vulnerable women and children.

Seeing my parents giving money, especially as we came from a very humble background as they had only been allowed to bring £3 with them from India, was inspirational. Growing up I couldn’t understand this — I thought we were suffering at the time, but they were still giving money out to people.

One day I challenged my parents on this, asking: ‘Why are you giving money away when I want a new pair of shoes?’ And my father said: ‘Look, you have a roof over your head, you have all your faculties, and you already have a couple of pairs of trainers!’

That had an impact, as did my religion. The Sikh religion clearly states we should give at least 10% of our wealth to charitable causes.

Building blocks

Property is my core business. I’m involved in several other businesses such as renewable energy, spread betting, insurance brokerage, pharmaceuticals and the care industry. All these have something to do with real estate and we now manage over £5 billion worth of assets. This has allowed me to set up my philanthropic ventures and sequentially I have been invited to sit on the philanthropy advisory board of Coutts. I spend about 30 per cent of my time on charity and community work, often mentoring children and young adults.

I look at the DNA of the charities I give to — what I don’t like to do is reinvent the wheel. The Virdee Foundation looks at the direct impact the charities have on individuals: there’s a test that we do and then I take that to the board.

Remote control

What drew me to Kids for Kids is the fact they’ve adopted 78 villages and had an impact on over 364,000 people in such a remote place. The work that Patricia has done to date is phenomenal and very touching. I was invited to the Ambassador’s Ball, which is where I met her, but prior to that — and Patricia doesn’t know this — Kids for Kids was on my radar, so when I got the invitation I said I’m definitely going to get involved.

You’ve got to have political willpower in any country — hand in hand with the charity, you need to make sure you’ve got political clout and try and get that directly or indirectly into the region. I’m a very firm believer in lobbying governments to actually make a difference in regions such as Darfur. It’s a shame governments sometimes turn a blind eye. If we don’t keep bringing it to their attention, these issues will drift away to the back of their minds.

Kids for Kids is something we will add value to. I will definitely be taking my expertise and my black book and seeing how I can help in that region because you have to have a two-pronged approach on this — you can’t just go down the charity route, you have to go down the political route as well.

A Step Up

Philanthropy is part of a journey. This is a conduit between now and the good times — you can’t have people who rely on charity all their lives, you have to make these people self-sufficient, they have to generate their own income and a better life for themselves.

A good charity should always make sure it allows the people it’s supporting to better themselves by doing and getting into that position if they can.

www.thevirdeefoundation.com

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The Virdee School – Work Begins

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 16:14:00 GMT

We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the philanthropist, Professor Prof. Peter Virdee, whose charitable foundation is funding the construction of a new school in Bibangwa, DR Congo.

Located a three hours’ walk from the nearest road, on the High Plateau of eastern DR Congo, Bibangwa’s children are at the extremes of isolation. They’re receiving no help or investment from the government or other organisations. The current wattle and daub school, built by a resourceful community who are desperate for their children to learn, has unfortunately been ruined by the Plateau’s torrential rains.

Thanks to the Virdee Foundation’s support, we will be able to work with Bibangwa’s parents to construct a new, durable, six-classroom school for their children. The Virdee school will be community-owned and community-run. It will be a safe and dry place in which future generations of children can grasp their chance to learn.

Bibangwa’s current school

A leaking roof is unable to protect the children or classroom posters from the rain.

Bibangwa’s current school was built through significant effort from the community, using local traditional techniques. It’s a bamboo frame construction with white clay walls. Though these techniques can work quite well for domestic dwellings, they do not work for classrooms. The quite necessary absence of large, frequently-tended fireplaces in schools, means that the walls have started to crumble as there’s no heat or smoke to dry and the preserve the clay. The Plateau’s heavy rains have quickly degraded the corrugated tin roof.

As a result, the classrooms are cold, muddy and often wet places. Especially when the Plateau’s heavy rains come during wet seasons.

The untreated and thin corrugated metal roofing sheets rusted through long ago.

Space is also an issue. There simply isn’t enough room for the school’s 165 students in its four small classrooms. Though unstable, the bamboo benches do give some students a place to sit, the difficulty they face is that they have no desks to support their books when they’re writing.

An absence of desks forces children into writing into books perched on their laps. The rocks are used as benches when the classroom has become too full.

The Virdee Foundation’s mission statement

‘To relieve the needs of women and children who have or who are in danger of suffering mental, physical or sexual abuse.’

Our report on the condition of Bibangwa’s school, and the conditions in which children are trying to learn, left the Virdee Foundation in no doubt – that their support will bring lasting improvements to the mental and physical wellbeing of Bibangwa’s children.

The new school

Bibangwa’s new school will be constructed from durable materials; solid brick walls with deep foundations, galvanized (rust resistant) metal roofing sheets, cement floors. It will be designed to last, and to protect children from the cold and the rain.

Desks and benches in the school’s six classrooms will give every child a place to sit. They’ll no longer have to stoop over books perched on their laps. Windows will allow natural light to illuminate the classrooms. Children will be able to learn without distraction from uncomfortable, dark surroundings.

These photos from other schools we’ve built on the Plateau give an idea of the kind of new school that Bibangwa’s children will have in less than a year from now:

Thick, galvanized metal roofing sheets and guttering will keep rain out of the classrooms.

Benches and desks, made by local carpenters, will let the children sit and write in comfort.

Glazed windows will keep the elements out, but allow daylight into the classrooms.

Partnership

Partnership will be the driving force behind the construction of Bibangwa’s new school; between Children in Crisis, The Virdee Foundation, EMI (our local Congolese partners), and the parents of Bibangwa.

The contributions made by Bibangwa community will be particularly important. Bibangwa is one of the remotest places in which we have undertaken school construction, we won’t be able to do it without significant help. Trucks will have to offload any building materials at the end of one of the few dirt roads that serve the area. One of the many contributions from the community will be to carry these materials, including metal roofing materials, by hand or head on a three-hour walk up steep slopes to Bibangwa.

Work has already begun

EMI, our Congolese partners, have already started working with Bibangwa’s parents, preparing for the start of the construction work. Stones are being gathered for the school’s foundations. The structures you can see in the photo below are bamboo cages. Each cage contains the foundation stones collected by one family – as you can see, there are plenty of families involved and women are very much doing the heavy work.

Foundations stones are currently being gathered by community members. Each bamboo basket represents a different family’s contribution.

Women gathering foundation stones (more like rocks!).

The contract, in which EMI, Children in Crisis and Bibangwa community agree to our responsibilities in the construction of the new school has also been signed. Here, the Head of the committee of women which is helping with the construction of the new school, is putting her signature on the document.

The Head of the Women’s Committee signs the school construction contract.

Timeline

We hope to see the new Virdee school opening in April 2017. We’ll have to wait for camera memory cards to get down from the Plateau (and then for photos to be sent via very slow internet from EMI’s offices in Uvira), but we’ll post updates on the construction as often as we can!

http://www.childrenincrisis.org/news/virdee-school-work-begins

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Professor Peter Virdee Impact Magazine Spring 2016

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 17:03:00 GMT

http://www.mmucfe.co.uk/news/article/new-business-growth-edition-of-cfe-magazine-impact-out-now

Charity Dinner With Imran Khan in Aid of Namal College

Sat, 16 Apr 2016 20:00:00 GMT

Prof. Peter was delighted to co-host a dinner in support of Namal College, Pakistan, at the eponymous Nobu London in Old Park Lane on Saturday night.

Prof. Peter and fellow hosts, Mohammed Amersi, Amit Bhatia and Syed Bukhari were joined by Imran Khan, former Capitan of the Pakistan Cricket Team, and the Chairman and founder of Namal College, for an evening of wonderful food and delightful company.

The select list of just 50 guests raised £150,000 in less than 3 hours, a fantastic achievement that will help the college continue offering financial assistance to undergraduates from rural and less privileged backgrounds.

Mr Imran Khan established Namal College in 2008 when he was awarded the Chancellorship of the University of Bradford, with the aim to make quality higher education available and affordable for the marginalised rural youth in the region. Namal College is an associate college of the University of Bradford and now has 300 students studying for a University of Bradford degree for a fraction of what it would cost to study at the University in the UK. Ninety percent of Namal College students are provided with full or partial scholarships.

http://www.imrankhanfoundation.org.pk/about-ikf/namal-college/

https://www.namal.edu.pk/

Adele At London’s O2

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 20:30:00 GMT

Prof. Peter and friends thoroughly enjoyed Adele’s concert at London’s O2 Arena in style; with a great view, comfortable seats plus champagne and snacks served in the private box Prof. Peter had arranged for the evening.

Adele’s performance was described as ‘outstanding’ and ‘pure class’ with the set incorporating tracks from her most recent album, 25, the Oscar-winning Bond theme, Skyfall, as well as tracks from her first two albums.

Her amazing vocal abilities kept the audience in awe, while her ‘banter’ provided a lighter note to balance the emotional journey on which her lyrics took the 20,000-strong crowd.

A fabulous evening, in terrific company, both on and off the stage.

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Inauguration of PV Energy’s Solar Power Plant in Antigua

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:30:00 GMT

http://www.antiguachronicle.net/index.php/2016/02/26/pioneer-clean-energy-project-launched-in-antigua-barbuda/

Dean’s Lecture with Helena Morrissey, CBE

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 18:00:00 GMT

Prof. Peter was honoured to be invited to attend Cass Business School’s Dean’s lecture given by Helena Morrissey, CBE, titled ‘New approach to diversity’ How to develop more inclusive cultures from here. A more nuanced, than previous, target approach.

The enjoyable and thought-provoking lecture was followed by a delicious dinner to continue the discussion.

CEO of Newton Investment Management, Chair of The Investment Association and Founder of the 30% Club, Helena has long been a champion of women in the boardroom and believes that having children should not impact negatively on a woman’s career.

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British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards 2016

Sat, 06 Feb 2016 18:00:00 GMT

Boxing legend Frank Bruno MBE picked on the Lifetime Achievement for both his sporting achievement and for his selfless dedication to charity work including being an advocate for a number of mental health charities. Lewis Hamilton MBE and Jessica Ennis-Hill CBE won the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards.

http://bedsa.co.uk/and-the-winners-are/

War Child Winter Wassail

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:14:00 GMT

This exclusive and intimate event held at One Mayfair raised £715,000 for War Child, a charity providing life-changing support to the most vulnerable children whose families and communities have been torn apart by war.

https://www.warchild.org.uk/what-we-do

First World War Sikh Memorial

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 17:14:00 GMT

Prof. Peter Virdee, as Chairman of the Virdee Foundation, patrons of the memorial, praised Jay Singh-Sohal and his team for what they had achieved for the Sikh nation though their selfless work to preserve and maintain the Sikh history. He quoted the proverb “Until lions write their own history the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-34692507

Professor Peter Virdee made visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 11:07:00 GMT

Prof. Peter Virdee was invited to be a Visiting Professor for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Centre for Enterprise.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured to be given the title of Visiting Professor for the Centre for Enterprise. I believe it is a title that should be held in very high esteem. It carries a lot of responsibility and I am greatly privileged to have been blessed with this role and to be associated with such an esteemed and dynamic institution. Knowing that my accomplishments have been deemed worthy of such a title motivates me to continue to strive for excellence in my professional pursuits, and now in my scholastic role. I feel that if even one individual is positively affected by this role then I have given it justice. I want to inspire a new generation of enterprising people through my work and my teachings, to give them a chance to demonstrate their inborn gifts.”

http://www.mmucfe.co.uk/team/profile/peter-virdee

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Professor Peter Virdee Asian Wealth Magazine Edition 2015

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:44:00 GMT

http://www.asianwealthmag.co.uk

Professor Peter Virdee Asian Wealth Magazine Edition 2015

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:42:00 GMT

http://www.asianwealthmag.co.uk

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Refuge Private Dinner 2015 – Sponsored by The Virdee Foundation

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:39:00 GMT

http://www.thevirdeefoundation.com
http://www.refuge.org.uk

www.thevirdeefoundation.com

Professor Peter Virdee at Manchester Metropolitan University

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:34:00 GMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E7Q9wFOBBo

Professor Peter Virdee Speech at Manchester Metropolitan University

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:26:00 GMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= nMzkMu5gg0

Keynote Speaker Prof. Peter Virdee at Manchester Metropolitan University

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 09:17:00 GMT

Keynote Speaker Prof. Peter Virdee at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Conor McCreedy Portrait

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:40:00 GMT

PV at Life After Football Magazine Launch

Tue, 16 Sep 2014 18:09:00 GMT

Monty Panesar Foundation Dinner

Fri, 23 May 2014 14:19:00 GMT

Dinner Hosted by Lord Indarjit Singh and Lord Walton in the Green Room at the House of Lords

PV and Inside Rolls Royce: Channel 4

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:39:00 GMT

PV contributes to Channel 4’s Inside Rolls Royce

www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-rolls-royce-and-boodles/

Commonwealth Day

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 18:15:00 GMT

Her Majesty The Queen

Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth: A Project of The Virdee Foundation

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:28:00 GMT

Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth: A Project of The Virdee Foundation

10th March 2014

Eric Pickles is today proudly flying the Commonwealth Flag outside his department to mark Commonwealth Day.

The Communities Secretary said the centenary of the First World War meant it is even more important than usual this year to honour the sacrifices of soldiers from Commonwealth countries, with a new series of lectures on their contribution receiving a remarkable response from young people.

New figures show that the Curzon Institute lectures on the Commonwealth contribution to World War One have been a huge success. More than 3,500 students have attended 29 lectures with 30 more in the pipeline.

This year the UK also hosts the twentieth edition of the Commonwealth Games, which the Minister said would be another opportunity to celebrate the success of our historic partnership and its enduring influence on our country.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is taking part in Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth, in conjunction with the Virdee Foundation to celebrate the historic family of nations. This is expected to be the largest, mass single raising of the flag in the association’s history with over 500 Flags expected to be raised by local authorities and community groups across the country.

At the raising of the flag, where he was joined by Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State said it was the perfect time to be reminding people of the Commonwealth’s importance to our country.

“The Commonwealth is a huge part of our heritage which unites all corners of our country and all of our communities,” Eric Pickles said.

“This year it is even more appropriate to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by soldiers from across the Commonwealth in World War One. Commonwealth Day is one of a number of ways we are marking that contribution.

“We can all celebrate the Commonwealth’s success in bringing us together around our common history and its flag is an important symbol of that, just as the Glasgow Games will be in the summer.”

Faith and Communities Minister and Senior Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Baroness Warsi said:
“I am proud to support Commonwealth Day and glad that the Commonwealth contribution lectures are receiving such a positive response. These talks are a great chance to educate a new generation in the sacrifices made by our great grandparents from across the globe, whether they be Tariques or Tommies.

“The figures show that there is a terrific appetite for schools to take up this opportunity and Commonwealth Day is the perfect time for this to happen.”

www.thevirdeefoundation.com
www.flyaflagforthecommonwealth.co.uk

Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth: A Project of The Virdee Foundation

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:21:00 GMT

A magnificent triumph for all those flying flags and supporting the Commonwealth at the top of Britains Highest Peaks!

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FC Business Magazine Article

Wed, 08 Jan 2014 16:38:00 GMT

FC Magazine Article

New Paragraph

The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust Reception

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:38:00 GMT

Her Majesty The Queen and Prof. Peter Virdee

Professor Peter Virdee at Asian Stars Latest Event hosted by Sporting Equals

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:32:00 GMT

Prof. Peter Virdee @ Asian Stars Latest Event hosted by Sporting Equals

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Professor Peter Virdee & Al Pacino

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 18:13:00 GMT

Prof. Peter Virdee & Al Pacino.

Professor Peter Virdee at Milan Fashion Week

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 16:45:00 GMT

Professor Peter Virdee with Lang Lang at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S

Sun, 08 Sep 2013 11:46:00 GMT

http://lus.so/the-jean-bugatti-veyron/?doing_wp_cron=1379675101.4180369377136230468750#.Ujwr2NIWISE

Why so few Asians in football?

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 11:09:00 GMT

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Professor Peter Attends the Novak Djokovic Foundation Dinner

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:15:00 GMT

Djokovic Srdjan and Prof. Peter Virdee The post Professor Peter Attends the Novak Djokovic Foundation Dinner appeared first on Prof. Peter Virdee.

Professor Peter Virdee presenting guest of honour speech at the IES Seminar on Indo-UK Economic Cooperation, New Delhi

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:58:00 GMT

In its never ending quest to discuss and strengthen various facets of the economic development of our country, Institute of Economic Studies (IES), organised a seminar on Indo-UK Economic Cooperation.The agenda of the seminar was to assess the Indo-UK relationship vis-à-vis bilateral trade and investment and discuss various strategies to further enhance it. India and the UK today share a very strong and deep relationship, which is formed on broad spectrum ofmutual interests. The UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s two visits to India since 2010 bear testimony to the fact. UK continues to be among India’s major trading partners.

The seminar was inaugurated by Sekhar Dutt, Governor of Chhattisgarh. Bhisma Narayan Singh, former Governor of Tamil Nadu along with Prof. Peter Virdee, Partner, B & S Property UK, were the guests of honour for the evening.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/holding-hands/article4785959.ece
IES Press Release

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Professor Peter Virdee Backs Asian Star Working In Partnership With Chelsea FC

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:38:00 GMT

Prof. Peter VIRDEE BACKS ASIAN STAR

Prof. Peter Virdee, one of the country’s leading businessmen and philanthropists, has added his support to Chelsea Football Club’s ground-breaking Asian Star project.

As an ambassador for Sporting Equals, Virdee acknowledged the great work the Asian Star programme undertakes to combat low participation levels of British Asians in football.

Since Chelsea FC launched the initiative in 2009, more than 1400 young British Asians have taken part in the Asian Star programme and five previous winners have gone on to represent professional club academies.

This year, Chelsea FC has teamed up with Sporting Equals to help create the best Asian Star event yet. Sporting Equals is an organisation that works to promote the inclusion of under-represented communities in sport and physical activity.

I am extremely delighted to be supporting this year’s Asian Star campaign alongside Sporting Equals and Chelsea FC,’ said Virdee. ‘Initiatives like Asian Star is a positive step in the right direction in highlighting exciting times ahead and more importantly that football is open to the Asian community.’

Over the years, he has supported a number of charities, including The Prince’s Trust, Mencap, British Red Cross, Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Jaralam Trust as well as the Tsunami disaster relief fund. He is also the first Sikh patron on the board of the English National Opera and sits on the UK philanthropy board of Coutts & Co Private Bank UK. In recent times he has been invited to St James’ Palace to meet the Queen and was part of a select Sikh Delegation to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales at the Indian war memorial in Neuve-Chapelle in France.

He is also the first Sikh patron on the board of the English National Opera and sits on the UK philanthropy board of Coutts & Co Private Bank UK. In recent times he has been invited to St James’ Palace to meet the Queen and was part of a select Sikh Delegation to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales at the Indian war memorial in Neuve-Chapelle in France.

http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/press_release_detail.php?news_ID=66
http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/sportingequals15.php
http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/press_release_detail.php?news_ID=66
http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/sportingequals15.php
http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/press_release_detail.php?news_ID=66
http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/sportingequals15.php
http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/petervirdee.php
htp://www.chelseafc.com/foundation-article/article/3121095/title/peter-virdee-backs-asian-star
http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/03/25/peter-virdee-backs-asian-star/
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3121036/title/peter-virdee-backs-asian-star

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Professor Peter Virdee attends Commonwealth Day at Marlborough House with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:20:00 GMT

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Kamalesh Sharma & Prof. Peter Virdee

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/34581/253755/100313queensmessage.htm

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The Virdee Foundation & Prof. Peter Virdee Proud to Support the Mane Chance Sanctuary.

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:04:00 GMT

I was delighted to attend and support the Mane Chance Sanctuary on Monday 25th February 2012. A star packed gala dinner for a fantastic cause.

http://manechancesanctuary.org/

http://horses.horsealicious.com/p/3997531237/hugh-grant-and-max-clifford-join-forces-to-support-horse-charity-mane-chance-at-gala-dinner

http://www.tatler.com/bystander/events/2013/february/mane-chance-sanctuary-dinner-and-auction#/9518/image/1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2284463/Hugh-Grant-Max-Clifford-join-forces-support-horse-charity-Mane-Chance-gala-dinner.html

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Professor Peter Virdee unveiled as new Sporting Equals Corporate Ambassador

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Sporting Equals is the national organisation promoting greater participation by the black and minority ethnic population in sport and a healthy lifestyle. The not-for profit organisation, is at the heart of BME communities through its network of 5,000 community organisations. As a national partner of Sport England and strategic advisor to DCMS they have partnership agreements and affiliations with the leading sports governing bodies.

The objective of Future Champions is to recognise, celebrate and inspire. By shining a light on the stars of tomorrow, the programme not only nurtures talent but also encourages participation from other young people from similar backgrounds, motivated to get involved by the success of our Future Champions.

Prof. Peter Virdee said “even if I can inspire one child to take up sport, through my Corporate Ambassador role with Sporting Equals, I will be happy”.

Born and bred in the inner cities of Birmingham, earning his first pounds as a car minder, Prof. Peter is now a highly established business and property entrepreneur, one of the most iconic Sikh’s across the world. Peter’s journey can serve as an inspiration for other young people including those living in inner city areas. With the right mind set, drive and motivation, Prof. Peter experience provides evidence that nothing is impossible.

Prof. Peter himself is an avid sportsman, playing badminton, polo and basketball as a way to both get fit and get into a mind frame of self-discipline that has helped him in his journey to business success. Prof. Peter believes that sport can provide many benefits and is a key tool to develop youngsters, helping them achieve their potential.

Prof. Peter said “There is so much sporting talent in the Asian community, not just in the UK but worldwide. The Asian diaspora is one of the largest globally. Statistically we should be bringing through top talent in the professional sporting arena. However in reality this is not the case. I believe this is largely centred around the lack of encouragement for youngsters to take up sports at a grassroots level and role models to inspire them. We need to re-educate our community and try and change these mind-sets, especially those of the third generation parents. Investment should be targeted, developing facilities in inner city areas with high levels of social deprivation including cities with high concentration of Asian communities to further encourage them to get involved in sport”.

Arun Kang CEO at Sporting Equals said, “On behalf of the board and the team we are delighted to welcome Prof. Peter as a Corporate Ambassador. Prof. Peter brings a wealth of experience, drive, vision and strong networks all will considerably enhance our offer. As a philanthropist he has supported numerous good causes and charities both at home and abroad and has witnessed how sport can be utilised to bring communities together”.
Prof. Peter said, “As my offices are based in Central London, I witnessed firsthand the energy around London during the summer it was truly incredible. Bridging gaps in society as well as highlighting the many sports that are available for youngsters to participate in. The time is now to build on the positives that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games have left, carrying forward the legacy as we should be encouraging more young people into sport”.

“Through my role as an Ambassador of Sporting Equals, I will work with the organisation to make this happen. I believe in giving back to the community, and via Sporting Equals I will further help build a better future for kids in our community. The key is to polish these ‘un-cut’ diamonds from the Asian community and develop them into the bright sports persons that we all know they can be”.

Commenting on the Future Champions programme Prof. Peter said, “I was ecstatic watching the Bhangra dancers at the opening ceremony. This showcased the Asian community’s strong presence in the UK. However what was disappointing was the lack of Asians in the top tier, participating and winning medals”.

Arun said “London 2012 showed the very low number of British Asian’s participating in the Olympic and Paralympic games, and Prof. Peter will help to increase interest within Asian families, businesses, communities and faith centres to ensure British Asians are not missing at Olympic and Paralympic games in the future”.

Prof. Peter added “Hopefully this will kick start the Asian community to get into sports, however, this will take time and the right encouragement for youngsters at a grassroots level to help us find more elite talent through this programme. I am confident that we will be watching British Asians winning the gold’s, silver’s and bronze medals in years to come”.

Notes for Editors:
Sporting Equals exists to actively promote greater participation by the black and minority ethnic population in sport and a healthy lifestyle. It is a not-for profit organisation. We have a strong national network of delivery partners on the ground, at the heart of BME communities. We also have partnership agreements and affiliations with the leading sports governing bodies. Our job is to bring these two networks together in order to:

For more information, please contact David Mbaziira, Head of Marketing & Communications on 0121 777 1375.

For further information about Sporting Equals, please visit the website at www.sportingequals.org.uk .

Professor Peter Virdee Honoured by Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:27:00 GMT

http://www.chiefkhalsadiwan.com/

I was honoured to be recognised by the Chief Khalsa Diwan as a prominent Sikh personality on the occasion of the 64th All India Sikh Educational Conference held at Ludhiana on 9 November 2012.

Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society is a 110 year old institution of Sikhs. It was established in 1902. S. Arjan Singh Ji Bagrian was the founder President and S. Sunder Singh Ji Majithia was its first Honorary Secretary. For promoting education among Sikhs, Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society established a new organisation – Educational Committee in 1908.

The aim of the educational committee was not only to spread education but also to promote the philosophy of Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society to make the common masses aware of the importance of education. Since then, the Educational Committee of the Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society has organised 63 Educational Conferences in various parts of the country.

Wherever the Educational Committee used to organise and Educational Conference, a new educational institution was established at that place, with the efforts of the supporters of Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society. The first conference of the Educational Committee was held in 1908 in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) and after that Khalsa High School came into being there. Thirty Three Educational Conferences were organised by this committee till 1946. Various prominent political personalities honoured these Educational Conferences with their gracious presence from time to time. Before 1947, the famous personalities who attended these conferences included royal personages.

The prominent personalities who attended the Educational Conferences after the Independence are former Presidents of India, Dr Rajindra Prasad, Dr Zakir Hussain, Shree Fakhar-u-Din-Ali Ahmed, Dr G.S. Pathak – Vice President, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Prime Minister, S. Sawarn Singh – Defence Minister Govt. Of India, Shri M. C. Chagla Chief Justice Bombay High Court, Shri K.M. Munshi Governor Uttar Pradesh, Shri Mangal Das Ji Pakwasa, Governor Maharashtra, S. Ujjal Singh Governor Punjab, S. Partap Singh Ji Kairon Chief Minister Punjab, Giani Zail Singh Chief Minister Punjab, Capt. Amrinder Singh Chief Minister Punjab, S. Parkash Singh Badal Chief Minister Punjab. The prominent personalities who gave Presidential Addresses in such conferences of Educational Committee of Chief Khalsa Diwan to give direction in field of education were S. Baghail Singh Ji Rias, S. Joginder Singh Ji Rais, Kanwar Daljit Singh Ji, S. Sunder Singh Ji Majithia, Dewan Leela Ram SinghJi, Sant Attar Singh Ji Maustuana, S. Kharak Singh Ji Rias, S. Harbans Singh JI Attari, S. Shivdev Singh Ji Rias, Principal Jodh Singh Ji, Prof. Puran Singh Ji, Bhai Kahan Singh Ji Nabha.

Before 1947 the educational conferences organised by the Educational Committee left such marks that the number of educationasl institutions rose from 7 to over 600. After the partition in 1947, the economic condition of the Sikhs deteriorated badly, because of which many schools were either closed or were handed over to the government by the Managing Committees.

In 1967, Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society passed a resolution to establish schools under the banner of Sri Guru Harkrishan Ji; the 8th Guru and the first such school was established in Amritsar. At present more than 45 schools, Central Khalsa Orphanage (Amritsar) Old-Age Home (Tarn Taran), Hospitals, Homeopathic dispensaries, Dental Clinics, Sangeet Vidyalayas, Dharam Parcher committees etc are being run under the aegis of Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society which not only provide quality education but also make efforts to inculcate among students the spirit of Sikhism. It has already added two Adarsh schools at Dhandran (Ludhiana) & Naushera Pannua (Tarn Taran) in collaboration with Punjab Government under the name of Punjab Government CKD Adarsh Schools.

Educational Committee of Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society, Amritsar has now entered into the field of Technical, Vocational & Professioanl Education. Consequently, it has already started CKD International College of Nursing & CKD Institute of Management & Technology in Amritsar. The project of CKD Institute of Management & Technology at Tarn Taran & CKD Institute of Liberal Arts at Amritsar, are under consideration.

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Rendezvous

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink & Prof. Peter Virdee

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Rolls-Royce Invites Customers For Exclusive Dinner in Assembly Plant

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:14:00 GMT

Rolls-Royce invited a select 100 customers to “dine on the line”, transforming the factory where all Rolls cars are hand built into an exclusive event.

Rolls-Royce invited a select 100 customers to “dine on the line”, transforming the factory where all Rolls cars are hand built into an exclusive event. I was fortunate enough to be invited along with other select customers who were introduced to some of the skilled men and women who are responsible for putting these cars together, and even got to try their hand at applying the perfect coat of paint on a Phantom Extended Wheelbase. The occasion was used to introduce the attendees to the Phantom Series II lineup.

Along with the Phantom, a slew of classic 1930′s Rolls-Royce cars were displayed in the dining room

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Business Secretary Pays Tribute To British Sikhs At Vaisakhi As New Fund To Support Sikh Entrepreneurs Is Announced

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:25:00 GMT

The Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary, Dr Vince Cable MP, has paid tribute to British Sikhs during Vaisakhi – at an event where the “Turbanology: Sikh Unwrapped’ exhibition went on display for the first time in London

Speaking about how Sikhs contribute to prosperity in Britain, Dr Cable highlighted the importance of the links the community provide with India – and defended the need to continue giving aid to the subcontinent to address issues such as poverty.

The audience heard from a panel of leading Sikh business leaders who discussed how they had developed their enterprises – and how they hope to support the development of future Sikh talent.

Business Tycoon, Prof. Peter Singh Virdee, announced a new fund to be launched later this year, solely for Sikhs who have a cutting edge idea are in need of finance. This group of prominent Sikhs in British business lead by Mr Virdee, would advise, nurture and guide any worldwide Sikh initiative, to ensure the creation of more wealth and prosperity in the hands of the Sikh community.

Mr Virdee described how he felt there was a gap in the market to support creative ideas with a soft loan, without the obligation to take profit or shares.

The evening was the first in a special week long series of events marking the 313th anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa Brotherhood – a pivotal moment in 1699 which defined the Sikh community. ‘Turbanology at Vaisakhi’ incorporates the key components of the ‘Sikhs Unwrapped’ exhibition with a new film commission by hosts Ernst & Young Sikh Group which captures prominent Sikhs speaking out about what their Turban identity means to them.

Jay Singh-Sohal, event host and exhibition director remarked, “It’s been a fantastic event – the Sikh community have made a tremendous impact upon British life and the economy so bringing this to light through our exhibition and speaker events at such an important time for Sikhs is a great way to celebrate the best we have to offer in Britain.”

The exhibition will run until Friday 13th April with a further special panel being held on Thursday 12th April looking at how Sikhs are perceived in media and abroad. The evening event will feature a special screening of the new BBC documentary “The Story of the Turban.”

The Big Egg Hunt Dinner and Auction 20th March 2012

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:16:00 GMT

Honoured to attend one of the most exclusive events in London The Faberge Big Egg Banquet hosted by no other then Faberge themselves.

Other guests included Holly Valance, Tamara Ecclestone, Nick Candy, Lisa Butcher, Lisa Tchenguiz and Ella Krasner.

Luxury Alliance Launch at Kensington Palace 15th December 2011

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:19:00 GMT

The Launch of Luxury Alliance a brand consultancy and marketing company which was held at the Royal Kensington Palace with equally important guests and friends alike. For more information about Luxury Alliance please see the link below.

Lance, Prof. Peter Virdee, Alexander Burke & Rubbab Shaikh

Prof. Peter Virdee & HRH Prince Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi

Prof. Peter Virdee & Daniel Caltagirone

Victoria Christian & Prof. Peter Virdee

Prof. Peter Virdee, Francis Card, Lisa Tse and the one and only Master Tse.

World Premiere Luxury Alliance

Luxury Alliance

Tribute to MF Husain: Art Exhibition

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:13:00 GMT

MF Husain dubbed the Picasso of India who sadly died in London on 9th June 2011, aged 95 however myself along with others met in London to celebrate his life and works. Close friends of M.F. Husain, who have collected his works for many decades, held a very private and very subtle exhibition last night of a couple of dozen of his paintings at the Royal Academy in London.

The paintings were full of colour and dash and included not only Husain’s trademark horses but also Hindu deities as well as family and witty self-portraits. Collectively they did look amazing, all present agreed.

It was an honour to be involved in this event but furthermore to have met the legend and to have spent some evenings in his company.

Professor Peter Virdee

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:22:00 GMT

Prof. Peter Virdee born and raised in Birmingham has been working in the property business for the last 19 years. Prof. Peter is a founding Partner of B & S Property and has interests in numerous other businesses. B & S Property has set up HK & JH Charitable Trust which contributes significantly in relieving people all over the world of their hardship or distress as a result of local, national or international disaster or by reason of social or economic circumstances.

Prof. Peter Virdee has had an invaluable impact through his commitment and dedication in supporting worldwide causes. Over the years, a considerable amount has been donated to various charities, including The Princes Trust , Mencap , Sense International , British Red Cross , Marie Curie Cancer Care , The Jaralam Trust as well as contributions towards the Tsunami disaster. Last year, through supporting the Caudwell Charity , we were able to pay for terminally ill children to go to Disney land.

With regards to other social entrepreneurial charity work, Prof. Peter Virdee has an aspiration to work hard and create enough wealth in order to donate 50% of his wealth to charitable causes.

He has solely set up Sardar Jagat Singh Charitable Trust in India (named after his late grandfather) which has successfully carried out 400 cataract operations from start to finish. The charity has sponsored 80 children starting from primary education in the hope that this sponsorship will lead to future scholarships. Furthermore he’s UK based contribution and donations are made through The Virdee Foundation .

This same charitable trust has provided support to Bharuch Welfare Hospital based in Gujarat which holds 700 beds. This Charity has made a positive contribution to the Gujarat crisis whereby 172 houses were built in the area following the earthquake in 2001.

Prof. Peter is a Patron of the NSPCC , in support of this charity he has contributed a substantial amount of money in helping to build Hargreaves Centre in Merseyside. Alongside this children’s charitable work, he has had a large amount of involvement in the Full Stop Appeal. Through being an active supporter of the Guru Ram Das Project he has been able to sponsor The Women’s Alcohol Service at Foundation 66. This sponsorship will ensure that women who suffer from drug and alcohol abuse and those who are affected by domestic violence will continue to receive support for an additional year. Prof. Peter has personally (through his own wealth) sponsored a number of other charities which are close to his heart including Variety Club , Living the Dream Trust , Leonard Cheshire Disability and Cancer Research UK . In his desire to assist disadvantaged children in the developing world he has helped to build St Paul’s Children Care Centre in Nairobi.

Currently he is he first Sikh Patron on the board of the English National Opera and sits on the UK philanthropy board of Coutts & Co Private bank UK, in recent times he has been invited to St James Palace to meet the Queen and was part of a select Sikh Delegation to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales at the Indian war memorial in Neuve-Chapelle in France. In 2010 Prof. Peter was given the honour of laying a wreath along side Baroness Thatcher to commemorate those who contributed to the 1st and 2nd World Wars. .

Recent initiative and involvements also include supporting the Loomba Trust which supports widows around the world, Sankara eye foundation which has helped 730,000 regain sight to date, the Libya Foundation which raised over £500k in one night alone and Pratham a childrens education charity which rasied over £2.2m in one single event.

Professor Peter Virdee invited to join Coutts & Co Private Bank UK Philanthropy board

Thu, 26 May 2011 15:13:00 GMT

Prof. Peter Virdee has been honored and is delighted to be joining the board of Coutts & Co Private Bank UK Philanthropy.

“In charity there is no excess”
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) British statesman and philosopher.

Coutts private bank, have an impressive 300 years history of involvement in the charity sector. Most famously, Angela Burdett-Coutts was one of the greatest Victorian philanthropists of her day making unprecedented inroads into helping those less fortunate than herself.

Today this charitable tradition is proudly upheld. The Coutts Charitable Trust and the Coutts Foundation maximize the impact of giving by supporting numerous good causes.

Unquestionably by far the most important part of Prof. Peter Virdee’s values and beliefs is that of helping others, those that are in need. In recognition of Peter’s contributions and willingness to always help others in need, Prof. Peter has been requested to sit on the Coutts UK Philanthropy board.

“I have spent my life earning money, but my wealth has come from what I have given”