Succession plan is the key to leave a legacyfor an organisation. Keeping this in mind, MMUK had been planning from some time to bring next generation torchbearers together to mingle and foster the community bond to prepare to take the baton of MMUK.
MMUK team have been planning for this meet since Diwali 2019 and had booked a venue in Midlands for a weekend out to celebrate Mahesh Navami 2020 with special youth focused activities. As we all know the pandemic hit and we could not realize this plan. Since then, the team has been waiting for an opportunity to organise this. The team worked diligently from the venue to the day plan to ensure we keep our younger friends entertained and at the same time make them comfortable with minimal presence from committee members. Below is a description of the event written by an attendee of the event, Miss Manvi Laddha from Milton Keynes, along with testimonials from some other attendees.
Jai Shri Krishna.
On August 1st 2021, the younger members of our MMUK community were able to come together for a day of fun-filled activities in London in what will hopefully be the first of many youth social and networking events within MMUK!
The event was undoubtedly a great success, with many fantastic connections made between us attendees that we are sure will go beyond this event and contribute to strengthening the network between the younger generation of our Maheshwari Pariwar.
A day out in London visiting the gorgeous Sky Gardens with its panoramic views along with the London River Cruise and dinner was exciting to all of us as soon as we heard about this event, and this was made even more exciting with the unique opportunity to meet and connect with fellow young people from our community from all over the UK in a fun-filled and interactive day! The enthusiasm for this was evident in our group chat as we began introducing ourselves and our excitement for the weekend to arrive.
Eager and bubbling with nervous energy, many of us hopped on early trains, our excitement building, to arrive at the first location of the day – Sky Gardens. Upon arriving, we were able to make acquaintances and introductions with the other attendees whilst enjoying the breath-taking views of London in the sunny weather. We learned more about each other’s hobbies, areas of study, future plans and career aspirations – all whilst marvelling in how refreshing it was after all these long months of lockdown and isolation to socialise with such a great bunch of people. Needless to say, many of us became fast friends. After a big circle group conversation and many, many photos, our group made its way outside to enjoy some delicious samosas, jalebis and coconut water – providing us with energy and giving us refuge from the ‘London drizzle’ as we prepared to journey to the second location of the day. What better way to round off our morning of chatting and making new friends than hot, delectable snacks!
We thus began our journey towards the London Eye for the much-anticipated River Cruise – in my opinion, one of the most unintentionally entertaining parts of the day. What was meant to be a quick bus journey soon turned into a leisurely group stroll by the river to our destination – a time spent connecting with those we perhaps had not spoken much to earlier and laughing together as we made our way towards the cruise, led by Ramnareshji on his bicycle!
With the sun shining on us and accompanied by fascinating information about London’s landmarks on the cruise, it was definitely a group favourite activity. We learned about the history behind each of the seven bridges in the heart of the city as well as some interesting facts about other famous pieces of architecture by the river. After finally learning how to tell the difference between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, we snapped our Instagram-ready group photos, descended from the London Eye Cruise and walked along the bustling streets of Southwark towards Pizza Express for dinner!
There was no better way to round off the evening than a wonderful meal with more great conversation amongst ourselves and with our hosts, reflecting on our favourite moments from the day’s activities. After one final group photo, it was time to say our goodbyes and head home.
This event was truly a great opportunity to make new friends and surely left us with some great new connections – whether this is a fellow student about to enter sixth form, or a university student or recent graduate able to offer advice and guidance to those amongst the group considering their future career paths. We all look forward to meeting as a group soon!
On behalf of all the attendees, our sincerest thanks must go to MMUK President Shri Ramnareshji Sonee, Sanjana ji Karnani and Madhusudhan ji Kabra for their incredible efforts in organising such a wonderful day filled with great company, great views, (and great food)!
Comments from other participants:
‘It was an incredibly well organised and enjoyable event. There was a great variety of things to engage in all day and we didn’t find ourselves getting bored at all! I especially liked the River Thames Cruise.’ ~ Ananya Sharda
‘Really enjoyed the event and the activities! Was great to have a day organised just for the younger members of the community and was a good icebreaker to help us get to know each other more!’ ~ Anushka Sharda
A massive thanks to the MMUK team for organising a great day out amidst this pandemic. This was my first in-person MMUK event and it could not have been a more warm and homely experience. My favourite moment was walking up and down London Bridge as a spirited group of 40. I’m excited to get involved in more such events! ~ Amartya Maheshwari
‘I really enjoyed the cruise the most and the dinner as it was a chance to sit down and get to know people. The event was a great way for me to meet likeminded youth and make new friends and it was generous of MMUK to sponsor this event’. I am looking very much forward to the next events!’~ Surabhi Somani
