The Friday Walking Group are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, Make up Seminar and Workshop.Post Event Update30 November 2016 OKA supporters Seema Khindria, Pria Prakash, associates Naina and Neena organised a makeup demonstration morning with tea and cakes followed by lunch with bubbly in November 2016.A makeup artist renowned for her work with celebrities and glossy magazines gave tips and demonstrated different ways make up can result in younger, fresher, natural and glamorous looks. Fifty women mostly from Maidenhead gathered to relax, giggle and occasionally gasp at the transformation well applied makeup can result in. There were hand crafted festive Christmas gifts, homemade brownies, cakes and flapjacks, jewellery for sale with proceeds going to OKA.As the event was in Maidenhead, money raised was used to buy a fridge freezer to store fresh food to feed up to 200 homeless in the local area.Event DetailsThis event is a make up workshop by makeup artist, Sammy Leigh.There will also be stalls supporting OKA, selling a variety of Christmas gifts, hand knits, cakes, jewellery and Forever Living products. About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Propharm Pharmacy Group are delighted to announce their event Propharm Pharmacy Dinner & DancePost Event Update27th November 2016, Pradip Patel Vice-Chairman Propharm Group.“It was a pleasure to nominate ONE KIND ACT as our principal charity for this year's Propharm Group Charity Fundraiser on Saturday 26th November 2016 at the Sheraton Skyline. One Kind Act were chosen because of the selfless drive of the committee and the vision of the founder and creator Shamit".  Event DetailsThe theme for the event this year is African. Part of the proceeds have been pledged to One Kind Act. About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Yatish, Amit, Chitra & Richa are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, OKA Golf Challenge Day:Post Event Update17 Sep 2016In the early hours on the day of OKA's planned charity golf tournament there were violent thunderstorms and torrential rain that kept most of the committee awake fretting and worrying.  OKA convened at Batchworth Golf Club to discover the course had been closed.  As a result, with admirable calmness and a philosophical attitude about the immutable power of nature, alternative plans were put into force.  The tournament was postponed, 72 golfers informed, and then they waited to see what the weather Gods had in store. By 12.30pm the rain eased and the course reopened.  20 intrepid golfers turned up determined to enjoy their egg rolls and play and they were rewarded with a game. The hundreds of sandwiches made by the committee for the halfway house were only partly used and most were sent to feed the homeless in Neasden, northwest London.  Meanwhile the committee managed to invite a dozen or so more guests to the evening dinner ensuring money would still be raised.  The atmosphere at night was one of happiness, relaxation and relief that all was not lost and the charity would indeed raise money for noble causes. Raffle tickets were sold in abundance, the auction was successful and OKA raised £8000 which exceeded expectations.A prize was given to a deserving golfer who scored best from the few that played.A guest said "I couldn't enjoy golf so I am determined to have a fantastic time tonight".  And they did!The golf tournament has been postponed to 2017 which will again be popular but hopefully Thor, the Norse God will stay away.Apart from the money raised, perhaps the best thing to come out of the fraught day was this cryptic and humorous early morning observation from a supporter:"Outlook for the day is typical Indian Summer’s Friday – so it is recommended you have a strong cup of masala chai, waterproof underpants and a pair of wellies.Thunder & Lightening and water-logged bunkers likely to batter the bandit handicaps – Met amber warning that a flood of double figures now expected.Gradual improvement from Noon onwards – so the die-hards should be able to sneak in a round or two of beers.By the end of the Day you will all be able to sing ‘’I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW THE RAIN HAS GONE.” Event DetailsTogether with my friends, I am delighted to be hosting a Golf Team challenge on behalf of ONE KIND ACT charity.What better way to raise money for some deserving causes than enjoying a day with friends, playing a round of golf together at the ambient Batchworth Park Golf Course, Rickmansworth before relaxing over drinks and a sumptuous 3 course meal?There is no doubt it will be an enjoyable day.  Those of you who know me will realise a relaxed but competitive game will be the order of the day.  So please put Friday 16 September into your diaries.Registration commences at 11am.After registration breakfast rolls and coffee/tea will be served to ensure you start the day in a golfing moodTee off will start promptly at 12.30pm.Goody bags will be given at the start of play to keep you replenished and cool (in more ways than one!)There will be a well-stocked half way house serving yet more food and drink to ensure that your concentration and energy levels do not waiver!In view of the charitable purpose we are also welcoming partners to attend if they wish in the evening at £30 for a three-course meal provided by the VIP lounge.Come prepared as the course is challenging, in superb order and there is already tension simmering as I see the ‘TEAMS’ can’t wait to get going with good-natured competition! Good luck to you all but if truth be told I’m looking forward to kicking you all into shape ;-). My intention was to keep the event competitive not only in golfing terms but also on pricing. At £80 for golfers including golf, breakfast, snacks, lunch and 3 course dinner with wine as well as prizes included, I am sure you will agree the event offers excellent value.We anticipate some fundraising for those of you who feel like I do, that ONE KIND ACT are a charity  with integrity who will be donating almost EVERY PENNY raised as profit to worthwhile causes. Their ethos is to have fun whilst raising money and they work on a basis of negligible overheads with CLOSE TO 100% of money being donated to causes they support. Please take a few minutes to look at their websitewww.onekindact.org.The OKA team and I look forward to welcoming you to a fun day of Golf, Friendship and making the world a better place on Friday 16th September.The very best of luck to the golfers (all 80 of you!)Yatish with  Richa, Chitra & Amit About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Meena, Rupa, Richa, Sapna, Nikki, Rena, Amrisha, Pooja & Ishan are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, OKA Group Skydive:             Post Event Update 17 Aug 2016, Richa VermaThe day dawned and it was time for a usually sensible motley bunch to jump out of a perfectly good plane at 12,000 feet. The motivation for this madness was raising money for One Kind Act. In keeping with OKA's ethos we paid for our own tandem skydives so all money donated would go directly to the needy. Sponsorship surpassed expectations with over £5000 raised. We were delighted but there was also no turning back now.We arrived in Cambridgeshire on a warm but cloudy morning and without a second thought signed our lives away on the disclaimer forms.Having been told we would probably be waiting over four hours, we settled down to eat and chat.  Impending terror and fear of life situations, we later realised, leads to some interesting, very open discussions.  Chatham house rules apply though and no more will be said!Training was a brief 10 minutes and prompted one keen observer to comment the parachute harnesses hanging on the ceiling belonged more in a BDSM dungeon.  Cue further interesting discussion.And then it was time.  Wear jumpsuit, meet instructor you would be strapped to, hope he smelt nice, put on unflattering cap, say a prayer as instructed by elders, take pictures conscious of unflattering cap, climb into rickety little plane, tell yourself to be in the moment and not think ahead to why you were sitting on floor of said plane.We took off.  The real madness started with inane chit chat.  "I'm from North London".  "I work for the council actually".  "It’s been a nice warm day hasn't it?".We were climbing to 12,000 feet to jump out and they were making quintessentially British, polite conversation.  Shouldn't they be asking if you remembered the parachute, what would we do if we got detached mid-air, have you made a will?  Clearly work was needed on stiffening my upper lip.The door opened and the first lot fell out.  For those who have not experienced fellow passengers falling out of your plane, it is not recommended.  It makes the stomach lurch in new and unexpected ways.Then we shuffled to the open door and I was sitting on the edge of possible destruction with my legs hanging out.  Every cell in my body, every instinct I had was screaming not to jump.  It goes against every primal survival instinct.We fell out.  Then came accelerated free fall up to 120mph: fast, intense and all consuming.  In that moment, all of life, the world, the universe were in my body, my mind and emotions.  In a way, it reminded me of those lucid dreams you have when sleeping where you’re flying, but only better because this time it was real.  Later the others would agree it was the moment they would never forget; those 45 seconds of free fall through the skies.  It is an indescribable euphoria. Our parachute opened and suddenly all became still and calm.  The ground beneath was clear with perfect visibility. I looked down, I looked into the horizon and felt so small. As we floated gently down to Earth I felt insignificant and utterly free.To quote a friend on the day- "in the moment there really is a place which is so surreal and nothing matters but the way you feel "In that moment you witness the glorious fullness of life. Unexpected things we learnt doing a skydive:- clouds have a taste- hundreds of baby spiders live in the airfield and love the smell of our hair- God exists in free fall- some land elegantly, some land on their face- sometimes you can't hear yourself scream - doing something scary can paradoxically de-stress you- you understand birdsEvent Details One Kind Act's associate member Meena Dhawan has had "doing a skydive" on her bucket list for a long time. The time has now come and she is ready to do something about it.  What better impetus than to raise money for One Kind Act (OKA) with its ethos of living your life and having fun while making the world a better place. Her enthusiasm has been so infectious that 2 more associates and 6 supporters have signed up for the adventure in the hope of raising money for this worthy charity.On Sunday 14 August 2016 Meena, Rupa, Richa, Sapna, Nikki, Rena, Amrisha, Pooja and Ishan will be driving up to the North London Skydiving Centre based in March, Cambridgeshire  for this exhilarating experience  for OKA.Please sponsor them and give generously, even a couple of pounds can make a difference.  All proceeds will go into OKA’s current projects of caring for abandoned children in Africa, feeding neglected elderly people in India and feeding the homeless in London.About One Kind Act One Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Kaushik and Annu are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, Summer Garden Party 2016Post Event Update  1 August 2016 SUN & FUN. LIVING & GIVING. OKA SUMMER PARTY 2016Let’s start with setting the scene. The weather was typical of British summer - glorious warm sunshine with the occasional splattering of menacing grey clouds. The garden was poised and ready for action: food, beverages, games and shisha all for the taking. The backdrop was a funky-shaped marquee, flashing different coloured lights as the evening emerged. An engaging stage set beside the alluring shimmer of the swimming pool. As guests arrived, Calypso music from the sound of a live London Steel Band added a great vibe, providing a lively tempo for conversation to flow. All in the backyard of a sub-urban Hatch End home. There were over 130 people over the course of the day who attended the OKA Summer Garden Party on Sunday 31st July 2016. It kicked off at 1.00pm and went on till late. The objectives of OKA were summarised in a heart-felt speech made by one of the trustees, Amit Chodha. One main message was to work for / donate to good causes and at the same time, to have fun. So whilst guests were engaged in ‘giving’ at garden stalls offering games, funny photo shoots, the raffle and auction, there was a lot of ‘living’ going on too - indulgent drinking and eating, especially at the live pizza station, friends catching up, new acquaintances being made, the young and mature mingling easily, stories and jokes being shared and for some, just absorbing the summer sun. This spirit defined the day. But no doubt, in keeping with OKA’s zest for fun, the highlight of the day was when someone was prepared to pledge £500 to see another friend jump into the pool, as she was - in her garden party attire. Before long this became a "dare" and a "cause". Several others added to the "pot" and before long the charitable donation in the name of fun and frolic rose to £1,100.  They were great sports to take on the challenge for a greater cause - and minor dry cleaning costs. Following this, most of the OKA Associates and many others either volunteered or were coerced in to joining the pool party - in the spirit of fun. This lightened the mood and created a lot of laughter and was quite the icing on the cake of an enjoyable and worthwhile day.  Well done OKA and our hosts for reminding us that we can challenge ourselves in small but entertaining, sometimes unconventional ways, whilst we contribute to a worthwhile cause.  Post Event: OKA are proud to announce that through ticket sales, garden stalls, donations, raffle and auction, we raised just over £8,000 at our Summer Garden Party of 2016. There are numerous worthy causes waiting to be awarded grants from our funds, so that we can make a real difference to very needy lives.  Please see our website www.onekindact.org for more details.Post Event Comments by Attendees   2 Aug 2016, Anonymous The One Kind Act this late summer day was a wonderful charity doA really good cause and lots of fun too A garden party with brave intentions Generosity from hosts with no pretensionsFood was plenty and drinks were flowing  A steely band playing; their instruments glowingA shisha corner engaged the young and the curious Whilst generous bids made the auction fun and victoriousThe speeches were engaging and full of felicitation To the very noble efforts of a small band of crusadersAnd then the banter started with calls to some to dunk in the pool for some charitable cash and for funAnd slowly one by one did the OKA team get soakedSome dived in while others were pushed The glasses were refilled and bubbly uncorked Fun and frivolity in the pool and the party rockedEach person present surely gave some scope To a future story and to give some hopeSo many worlds so much to do This one kind act will most certainly help a fewWell done you crusaders well done your friends Your efforts are applauded and may your cause live well. Post Event Comments by Attendees  3 Aug 2016, Aleem Hosein I always knew that Ritu was a smart cookie, quick thinker and a people person, but even I had underestimated how quickly she rationalised/strategize a £500 donation to OKA verses a leisurely paddle in a heated swimming pool (that she had previously swam in many times before) AND the ability to sneak home beforehand (I hadn't considered she lived next door or would have chosen Mona instead) to put on a bathing suit below her summer dress. Yes, it took her all of 2 seconds to recognise the sizeable benefit to OKA whilst keeping her dignity intact (and other bits), and if there happens to be a positive social impact that facilitates a certain 'businesswomen of the decade' nomination, then hey heck, good things happen to great people right? I for one would vote for you :-). Great sport Ritu. Thanks to Annu & Kaushik and the girls and to all at OKA for hosting such a memorable and fun event. Aleem and Reeta xx Event Details  OKA 2016 SUMMER GARDEN PARTYSunday 31 July 20161pm till late Come Join One Kind ActCelebrate The Joys of Summer&Help Shine Rays of Hope Garden Delights: Marquee, Pool and Summer BreezeParty Pleasures: Food, Drinks, Live Steel Band and Summer Surprises Friends and Family Welcome (Teens & Adults only)Limited Tickets available, so please buy asap ALL proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to One Kind Act About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Prideview Group are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, The Prideview Cricketers Cup 2016.Post Event Update17 September 2016, Richa VermaIt was a gloriously warm and sunny day in July 2016 when Prideview held their popular annual cricket tournament in aid of charity. This year they were supporting One Kind Act. The format was simple, fun and inclusive – 12 teams, 6-a side cricket, 5 overs each but only 1 champion!Nilesh and Pritesh from Prideview gave a humorous welcome speech for the day. Shamit, chairman of One Kind Act gave a well-received speech detailing where the money raised was going – to a blind school for the poor in Mumbai and to disabled, abandoned children in Tanzania.As the players got competitive playing cricket, the children played on a bouncy castle and enjoyed ice lollies, women had fun in a special ladies bowl out game, the bar served free drinks all day, spectators cheered on their teams and hundreds of raffle tickets were sold. A huge delicious spread was laid out in the afternoon much to the delight of the hungry cricketers. The day concluded with a successful auction taking the money raised to a staggering £18,000 plus.  Prideview and OKA had pulled off a successful, smoothly run and wonderfully fun day.Event DetailsThe Prideview Cricketers Cup is an annual charity cricket tournament, now in its 5th year, aimed at anyone interested or involved in commercial property. It will be taking place on Saturday 16th July at Merchant Taylors; School, Northwood with all proceeds donated to One Kind Act. You can get involved by playing, sponsoring or buying raffle tickets, and spectators are welcome. The format is simple, inclusive and fun: 12 teams, 6-a- side cricket, 5 overs each way and…… only 1 champion!  It promises to be a fantastic day out with food, drinks and goody bags for all teams. For more information contactPritesh@prideviewproperties.co.uk (tel: 0203 113 2144)or visit www.propertyinvestmentlondon.co.uk/2016/04/join-us-a The proceeds of this event being used to support two projects in India and Tanzania.About One Kind Act One Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here 

Aleem, Amy, Naz & Vinney are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, How Poloroid Are You - 2016 Challenge:Post Event Update 10 June 2016, Aleem HoseinSo first and foremost, we did it!!!!The Quad-Athalon was tough, exceptionally tough; a combination of lack of training, lack of sleep, recovering from gulping swimming pool water whilst trying to escape from an overturned kayak the night before and using rental bikes that were last used in My Fair Lady, made what was already always going to be a feat of endurance into a monumentally mammoth task. And that was all before we got to the La Valette bathing pools for the final leg of the first event! This is where the real test of mental stamina (and summoning of our innermost bravery) truly mattered. Please refer to the photos below taken at 8.30pm and then 9.10pm (after we were back on terrafirma), which speaks volumes. Do note the faint white line (right angled) which signifies where the brick wall and railings were some 40minutes earlier when all appeared calm and naively possible. Did I mention the icy English Channel waters at dusk? After a day of recuperating in magnificent Guernsey we boarded the ferry to Jersey departing Guernsey with enormous appreciation for both the Guernseyian people (now known as) and natural spectaculor beauty that the island offers in leaps and bounds. What lay ahead was completely unknown; would we be fighting for our lives fighting off wild animals or would we succumb to the Arctic winds that often consume the Jersey coastline? One last medium rare steak was called for, and wow how ribeye watering it was! 24 Hour Survival Time - Some 12 hours later (ribeye digested), suitably rested and expectedly hungry we stuffed our faces with a healthy Aloe based Forever shake (genuinely it's crummy and amazingly nutritious (thank me later Reeta)), and set off to meet Mr Fox and his merry survival experts. However upon arrival, it soon became apparent that the hype and consequential apprehension was somewhat of our (my) own imagination when the details became clear about what lay ahead. In short, we were tasked to catch our own food; not with spears or traps, nor with bare hands and nails, not even with ingenuity or valour, but with 4 sea fishing rods and tackle, and fish bait almost good enough to throw onto the BBQ (yes one of these was also provided!). Following on from our fishing lesson which was fruitless (fishless rather) we had a somewhat heated lesson (ha ha ha) in fire making, using rudimentary devices such as flints, sticks, modern survival flint-like devices and this extraordinary tool that is commonly associated with this naturally found raw material commonly known as tobacco. Yes we were told that the smart survivalist carries around a lighter (but wasn’t provided with one)!Once our pyrotechnics session had ended we were driven (I know what you're thinking, so were we) to a secret location where we were given a map and told to find the spot marked with an X. In fact, there were 4 maps in total with 4 X's, all of which we found with relative ease.At this point, we thought that the 24 hour ‘survival’ was, in fact, a bit of a picnic, with little more than a leisurely bit of fishing and turning on a hob. However, we were then told that we now had to scavenge on the seafront rockface for dinner. Having sampled some of the seaweed delicacies direct from the sandyish beach, we focused our efforts on prising away limpets and cockles and other marine snails from the wet black rocks until our container was full. Then we spent an hour or so foraging for herbs and leaves with which to create some seasoning for our shell 'creatures' meal a.k.a. dinner. Upon returning to the 'camp', we were presented with a 'shopping list' and told that the 4 X's we’d found during our map navigation exercise earlier had earned us vouchers from which we could redeem extremely useful survival tools from the list provided. Now at this point we were pretty much as horizontal as one could be having had a chilled afternoon, so when presented with the list (which was subdivided into shelter/fire/food and other) we burst into laughter, with this realisation that the picnic had just been extended. At first glance, and to our unanimous applause, among the list of items to redeem was beer, beer and did I mention beer!!! Suffice to say that little else was as noteworthy and very quickly the discussion between the 4 of us became about whether extra rope, useful flint, even tarpaulin was of any use versus beer, beer and some more beer. Eventually, sense kicked in and we opted for the tarpaulin and beer (and a flint of some sort). Curiously, we didn’t take any notice of the item called ‘Duct Tape’ (oh how we wish we had taken notice, later that night).Using our newly redeemed luxuries we soon set out building our shelter and making dinner concurrently as the sun was setting and there was clear evidence that some of us were getting drunk pretty quickly. During this time, the only real observation was that the tarpaulin was somewhat holy (no not the Jesus and Krishna sort, but the other one where it had several fist sized holes) but we had beer so we’d be alright!! (for those of you that had planned a BBQ for that weekend, you will know what is coming later, in torrential form!!!). Bellies full and shelter cosy and water ‘resistant’, we sat around the open fire feeling extremely pleased with ourselves, having survived the picnic – sorry, I mean ‘survival day’, with only what was fast becoming a spectacularly star-lit night, with a glorious new moon reflecting on the sea down below in the distance, to get through. In fact, it was so clear that Amy was lucky enough to spot a Shooting Star (I so wish she has wished for no rain!!!!!) as we sipped our beer and constellation spotted.Then the most curious thing happened, the moon suddenly disappeared, as if it had had a power cut. After searching we discovered that it had in fact not fallen into the sea, but had in fact been hidden by what could only be described as a Nimbus Cumulous Stratus (or something like that a.k.a. the mother of all endless dark black clouds. This signalled time for bed and we then quickly promoted reflection on the fist-sized holes that almost strategically appeared above our heads in the shelter. Did I mention the other ones that were by our feet?20 minutes later we were all tucked up (mummified more like it) in our single body fitting sleeping bags (for anybody that suffers from claustrophobia, do not read on!!), Walton’s like goodnights ensued and then we closed our eyes hoping for 7am to miraculously appear, when we had been told we would be picked up (rescued). It’s noteworthy that all time lines were estimated as we have no comms, no watches or other tech so had no idea about what time is was throughout. Approximately 10 minutes later the picnic was finally over. And what replaced it sounded like the equivalent of a grizzly bear but from the heavens above. For 7-8 hours (we think) it rained!!!It rained and rained and rained and it rained some more. At the start of the rain, it became very evident that we had weaknesses in our shelter, during the first hour or so of rain it became apparent that the Duct Tape would have been a far better choice than the beer. During yet more rain, it became very apparent to Vinney that the Duct Tape would have been far more sturdy than his bladder, brought on by the ill-chosen excessive beer. During yet more rain, it became very apparent to all but me that a waterproof sleeping bag that weighed more and was bulkier than the ‘summer conditions’ ones the others had chosen was, in fact, the right choice, as it materialised that the fist-sized holes were working hand in hand with the relentless rain, to form puddles not just within the shelter but within the guys sleeping bags. Suffice to say, it was anything but a picnic by now, in fact it was so miserable, that if it wasn’t for the commitment each of us had made to raise money for OKA, we would 100% (and in the first hour) have abandoned the shelter and walked the short distance to the organisers mansion house, where we’d have had zero issues with breaking and entering and finding a Goldilocks to shove out of bed! However, the £3,000+ we had raised (through your very kind donations and our sponsors support) mattered and gave us the conviction to lay there wet (apart from me, I was snug other than my head due to the fist-size hole above it), with water drenched clothes and wishing and wishing for a glimmer of daylight and for the relentless rain to stop! No such luck, it rained and rained and rained and rained right until 7am when we were greeted by a man with an umbrella donning a winter coat and with a mug of cocoa in hand, who smiled like an angel from above, and beckoned us to follow him to the mansion house. One last ‘foot’note….. Vinney who had probably had the worst of the water logging and cold weather, at approx 4am found a novel but exceptionally useful secondary use for one of his trainers, I’ll leave it to your powers of deduction to work out exactly what but with the following clue: it’s opening is pretty much identically shaped to a bodily part and when married together makes a great substitute to our favourite bedtime tool! Genuinely, it made all the difference to him being able to rest at least a bit. Showered and hot chocolates inside of us (apart from me, I had Aloe), we sat in the canteen of the mansion house miserable, truly miserable, not a word spoken, no eye contact, just miserable. Then, it got worse. Fantastic Mr Fox came over and spoke the words we had all been dreading and purposefully not speaking about….’so who’s ready to go sea kayaking?’. It was a bit like being asked to Lead the Conservative Party (post Brexit)! The words OKA were whispered and with that we all went into the changing room to put on our still wet wet suits (from the icy La Valette experience two days before) and we clambered into Mr Fox’s Land Rover and headed down to the sea. On route we were told that caves were out of the question due to adverse weather conditions (really!!!? He felt the need to mention the adverse weather!!!), which was a sense of relief to us all and in particularly Amy, who had been dreading the kayaking more than anything else because of her very reasonable fear of capsizing, both pre and post the exercise in the swimming pool three days before. Then came the great news; our Kayaks were not of the closed type (which we had used in the swimming pool when practising escaping from a capsized situation) but were in fact open so if we capsized we’d simply be flung into the sea (I know that doesn’t sound like great news but it truly was). 5km later (all in the rain) and we were DONE!!!! I hasten to add that the coastal scenery was spectacular and the sea water surprisingly not freezing, so despite the apprehension, we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Quick shower and fresh clothes and we headed off to board the ferry for the trip home.We are SOOOOOO Polaroid!!!!!!Till the Next One……………………………  Event DetailsIntroduction In an attempt to kick start a more healthy lifestyle (again!), the four of us (Amy, Naz, Vin and me) have decided to put together an event that would put to the test both our physical and mental (oh boy... are we mental?!!) aptitudes. Given previous successes that included a Sprint Triathlon, 70km cycle event, and the near death Hellvelyn climb, there was an inevitable desire to raise the bar (why do bars have to go up when gravity dictates that as we get older everything hangs down!!!) with something altogether ridiculous. After some discussion and cavalier decision making, we quickly sketched out a plan that was designed to test us, rewards us, possibly nail us, and definitely cane us!!! Firstly, I’ll start by saying that it takes bravery, skill, agility, stamina and maybe, a little stupidity for the team to agree to use two of my Invicta S1’s as our mode of transport for the duration of the event (that is, other than feet...and even hands maybe....and fins and bicycles). And that’s not a cop out! (If anyone reckons so, I am happy to challenge them to do 100 miles in an S1 (at a tenner a mile, with all proceeds going to OKA) after which you’ll recognise the truly talented bunch we are. On a more serious note, in addition to the fun element that the cars bring to the event(s), we will plaster the cars with One Kind Act’s (www.onekindact.org) name and logo as well as our Gold Sponsor’s to raise load of awareness (for anyone interested, at only £250, you get to be part of this with us, with your logo on both cars - call me on 07909 940286). Back to the plot….. The Challenge: Our aim is to truly push ourselves beyond our ordinary limits, so we have decided to do not just one but three events virtually back to back over a five day period. Each event must be original, ensure exhilaration, make us face our true fears and ensure that we create massive interest and respect to encourage all of you readers to dig deep and sponsor us with more than you ordinarily would, as a recognition of just how hard it’s gonna be for the 4 of us to complete each of the events described below.So here goes…..Day 1 - 8pm lesson in a swimming pool in London W12 – it’s actually our first and only lesson. The lesson is in a kayak in a swimming pool, but the lesson isn’t about how to use a kayak but instead how to escape from an overturned (capsized) kayak! The reason for this will become apparent as you read on. Following this roly-poly practice session, we drive to Poole for the night and then have a 6am start to get the ferry to Guernsey (please please please let the Invicta’s have sufficient clearance!) Day 2 (the first event) - We arrive in Guernsey at 11am, when we have 4 hours in which to traverse the course (the whole island effectively) for our Quad-Athalon. This includes hiring cycles, laying down swimming gear and doing a lap of honour around the island in the two Invicta’s and hopefully gaining loads of interest and creating tons of awareness (and hopefully some dosh) for OKA.The event then begins at 3pm. Firstly, we do a 5 mile walk along the coast, this allows us to warm up our legs before completing a 7 mile run along another section of coast line, followed by a 14 mile cycle through some of the island’s interior, ending at the famous La Valette Bathing Pools (they are basically a wall in the sea where the ocean rushes beyond, creating a salt water (bloody freezing cold) pool (sharks and all apparently), where we will complete the Quad-Athalon (or drown trying) with a 500 meter swim (10 lengths). To keep us on our toes, we aspire to complete this 26.75 mile extravaganza (yes 550 meters further than the London Marathon) in less than 5 hours and 40 minutes. This I should add is exactly when the Sun Sets in Guernsey on 9th June (assuming there is a sun to be seen, as we have no idea what the weather will be like on the day!)Day 3 - We have a 2pm ferry to Jersey, where we meet up with Mr Fox. Some say he’s pretty fantastic, but to us he’s so much more than this as Mr Fox will be our coordinator (not guide) for our 24 Hour Survival in the Jersey jungle, which we will commence at 9am onDay 4 - (anyone seen the movie Alive!!?) –  at 9am, we receive a map and compass and at the same time our mobile phones, wallets, torches, lighters, Swiss army knives, food, water and pretty much anything that Fantastic Mr Fox spots (and yes he will do a thorough examination!) are stripped away from us. We are given a point on the map and told to get there pretty sharpish as there will be a man at the other end who is waiting on us to give us essential training on how to survive a night in a jungle (ok, so it’s not the Amazon but to us London dwellers it may as well be). With nothing but a pen knife and some guidance on how to forage, find water, build a shelter and light a fire (and which leaves are soft on peachy skin), we are then in our own! Prey (let’s hope we are not!) for good weather!Day 5 - after a wonderful night under the stars, at 9am we will be escorted (or carried) out of the jungle and shuttled over to the coast. There, we will be given a life vest, an oar and a kayak and off we’ll paddle into the cave network along the Jersey coastline. For those of you who have been paying attention, you’ll remember where we started on Day 1 in a warm, shallow swimming pool, life guard on duty, in London W12. Let’s just hope the lesson learned doesn’t have to be put into practice!!! 2 hours of sea cave kayaking through what alleged to be mesmerising scenery seen by only the very bravest Londoners)... and we are finally done (and boy oh boy will we be done!!!). 8pm ferry back to Poole and then a 3 hour drive home in the 200mph (no traction control, no ABS, no lightweights please) supercars. The End  Having written this diabrite, i'm not at all sure who the audience will be to read it. So whether it's an OKA follower, a friend or a family member of Amy, Naz, Vin or me, a Gold Sponsor (thank you), a stranger who happened to notice the OKA Invicta S1's on the road before during or after the event, or even a reader of the Sunday Times who decided to report on some near disaster story that occurred in the La Valette Bathing Pools in Guernsey or on a tiger attack in Jersey's jungle or on a shark attack in its sea caves, or even in the swimming pool in London W12, please please dig deep and recognise that we are fundamentally doing this to raise loads of money for OKA, who do some outstanding work to support underprivileged, neglected and often abused children all over the world. Please visit https://onekindact.org/events/ebp2016challenge to sponsor us. Or contact Amy, Naz, Vin or me on our emails/phones/facebook's (not me, I'm far too....to sign up to that) etc.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Rupa and Ritu are delighted to announce their forthcoming event, Gaata Rahe Mera Dil:     Post Event Update10 June 2016A balmy summer evening on 9 June and it was time for OKA ladies' music evening.70 tickets were released which sold out very quickly encouraging the organisers to release more.  As such, the ambient Indigo Bar and Restaurant, Gerrards Cross was full to capacity with almost 100 music loving ladies looking to sing and dance the night away while raising much needed funds for the less fortunate of our world. Lovely music filled the warm night as ladies from different walks of life congregated for an evening of delightful music and delicious food. The evening started with cocktails and appetisers with a talented live singer crooning evergreen Bollywood songs.  Each table had a specially designed song request card and there were spontaneous moments of cheering and enthusiastic sing a longs when someone's request was performed. There was an opportunity to browse elegant and fashionable jewellery and shawls.Dinner was served with one lady quipping "the dal is quite chilly, all the better to spice up our dancing later!" And so the singers turned up the tempo and the dance floor was full with delighted enthusiastic women. There was even that elusive factor which marks a truly successful evening of music....dancing on the table.  All fun and laughter aside, OKA raised nearly £2000 for the deprived across the world. Many knew nothing of the charity they were so kindly supporting.  As Rupa gave her speech, eyes widened and the reality of devastatingly sad causes OKA supports became clear. Transforming lives and making a real difference is what OKA is about. Thank you all who gave their support and embraced OKA's ethos of living and giving.  We look forward to lots more events in the future.Pre-Event Update9 June 2016, 7pmAll set for tonight. There seems to be an electric fever of excitement amongst our guests. Tickets are Sold Out. We’ve have had to bring on our female charms big-time to convince the proprietor of Indigo Bar that we can sell another 30 tickets tonight.  Can’t imagine what the evening has in store for us! Rupa & RituEvent DetailsWe have planned a Ladies Night evening of fun and laughter with entertainment by Manjeet Sethi and a 3 course lavish meal at Indigo Bar & Grill.This is private event with pre sale tickets from Rupa on 07976 816844 or Ritu on 07734 201649.All monies raised will go to our chosen charity One Kind Act.One Kind Act aims to help change communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of poverty of health, nutrition and education and may have fallen through the net of the larger charities, whilst also ensuring minimum overheads and costs. If you can't join us on the day, please become a supporter which costs nothing or donate from as little as £5.Rupa & RituAbout One Kind ActOne Kind Act Changes Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here