Happiness and good mental health equilibrium in terms of experience and needs of first-generation settlers in the UK, whatever their country of origin, are well known to centre on retaining, preserving practicing and celebrating key aspects of their home country culture.  This has certainly been the case with new settlers to the UK who are Nepali.  One of the most important ways of preserving both Nepali culture in the UK, Nepali traditions and culture and good mental health and emotional wellbeing has involved creation and development of Nepali language classes, especially for the very young, and for older, especially more elderly female members of the UK Nepali community through regular group activities and accompanying socialising via Nepali dance classes.

Junkiri Language Class Club, Blandford Camp:

In the case of Nepali language teaching and preservation to and with UK Nepali youth, the Blandford Nepali community, at Blandford Camp, ‘Junkiri’ (‘Glow worm’) Nepali language study is a very good example.  We thank Mrs Mingma Sherpa and her Junkiri Language Class Club, with Captain Gopal Saru, for sharing with us the importance of these regular language classes (currently still only local Nepali community supported, as statutory sector organisations have not yet found the ways to support directly, but the British Army supports the group’s activities through providing the teaching/learning venue at no charge). 

What was learned from the engagement with Junkiri Language Class Club, was that in the words of the brilliant teachers, and of parents of attendees, that there was a major problem of Nepali children facing UK cultural integration problems, and at the same time because being brought up in a remote rural location (Blandford, Nth Dorset) they were almost completely cut off from the natural culture and Nepali language learning/absorbing culture and customs experience that their counterparts in Nepal enjoy.  The language class group also sometimes has UK community members, non-Gurkha British Army personnel attending – an exceptional transcultural learning phenomenon, that must be commended and need to be much more broadly publicised.

Nepali women’s dance club, Aldershot:

In Aldershot a very different age range within the local, reputedly 20,000+ Nepali-Gurkha community is catered for. 

The needs of the elderly, especially women, members of retired Gurkhas families for recreating in the UK, outside of Nepal, settings for socialising and celebrating traditional culture, are as important as that of the need to learn about and be proud of Nepali culture and identity in the young members of the far distant Junkiri Language Class Club at Blandford.  These weekly meetings at the UK Nepali owned, managed and staffed Empire Banqueting Hall provide a major wellbeing boost to the 100+ local elderly Nepali women’s community members attending, and in fact offer opportunities that don’t even exist in Nepal for different Nepali ethnicities to come together! 

Traditional mass-group Nepali dances, an individual and small group dances are enjoyed with gracefulness and exuberance.  Meeting the dance group earlier in 2019, through the introductions of Mr Jib Belbase, the then Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community (GRNC) President, was a great privilege and a further evidence of the UK Nepali community capacity for very successful culture and societal support initiative where community identity preservation and related wellbeing are concerned.