Our Patrons, Trustees & Team
Our Patrons lend their support, experience and voice to The Gurkha Centre, helping us champion the needs of Gurkha veterans, widows, families and the wider community. Their support strengthens our mission to ensure that those who have served, and their families, are recognised, valued and able to live with dignity, independence and a sense of belonging in the UK.
Our Trustees provide governance, strategic oversight and guidance, helping ensure that the charity remains accountable, sustainable and true to its purpose. Together with our dedicated staff and volunteers, we work to turn our mission into action—providing compassionate, high-quality support, reaching people in need, strengthening partnerships and creating lasting positive change within the communities we serve.
Our Patrons
Strategic support and guidance
The Rt Hon. the Lord Randall of Uxbridge Kt PC
Lord Randall of Uxbridge is a Patron of The Gurkha Centre, bringing decades of public service, community engagement and charitable leadership to the organisation. With deep roots in Uxbridge and Hillingdon, he served as the local Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015. During his parliamentary career, he served on several Select Committees and held senior positions including Government Deputy Chief Whip. He later served as Environment Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May and was appointed to the House of Lords in 2018.
Alongside his parliamentary career, Lord Randall has maintained a strong commitment to humanitarian, environmental and social causes. He is Chairman of the Human Trafficking Foundation and has been a prominent advocate on issues relating to modern slavery and human trafficking. His wider charitable and community interests have included supporting refugees and vulnerable people, wildlife and environmental conservation, and protecting the natural heritage of the local area.
As Patron of The Gurkha Centre, Lord Randall supports our commitment to honouring the service and sacrifice of Gurkha veterans while improving the wellbeing of veterans, families and the wider community. His extensive experience of public service, advocacy and the voluntary sector provides valuable encouragement to the Centre as we strengthen our services, partnerships and community voice and continue our mission to ensure that those who have served, and their families, receive the recognition, dignity and support they deserve.
Sir Ray Puddifoot MBE
Sir Ray Puddifoot MBE is a Chartered Accountant and highly respected public servant with a long-standing commitment to community development, heritage preservation, and support for the Armed Forces community. Throughout his distinguished career, he has served as a trustee and governor of numerous organisations and currently serves as a Trustee of Hillingdon Autistic Care & Support and the Battle of Britain Bunker.
As Leader of the London Borough of Hillingdon for more than two decades, Sir Ray championed initiatives that improved the lives of local residents and supported members of the Armed Forces community. Under his leadership, Hillingdon’s housing policies were strengthened to better recognise the needs of returning service personnel, including Gurkha veterans, helping many families settle and establish roots within the borough. His support also contributed to important developments that recognised the history and contribution of the Gurkha community. In recognition of his service, Sir Ray has received numerous honours, including international awards from the Republic of Poland and honorary memberships from veterans’ organisations.
As the first Patron of The Gurkha Centre, he brings a wealth of leadership experience, public service, and unwavering support for the Gurkha community. His appointment reflects a shared commitment to ensuring Gurkha veterans, widows, and families receive the recognition, respect, and support they deserve.
Our Trustees
Governance & Oversight
Janet Gardner
Janet Gardner serves as Chair of Trustees of The Gurkha Centre, bringing more than three decades of public service, advocacy, and grassroots community leadership. A former councillor for Hayes Wards for 32 years in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Janet continues her longstanding commitment to the community as a non-political Hayes community activist and Community Champion, advocating for inclusion, social justice, and support for vulnerable residents.
Janet has extensive experience supporting people affected by domestic abuse as she is a survivor herself. During her public service career, she served as the Borough’s Domestic Violence Victims Advocate and contributed to the Hillingdon Domestic Abuse Steering Executive. She continues this commitment as an Independent Community Domestic Abuse Victims Advocate and as a domestic abuse volunteer with Citizens Advice. Janet is also Chair of Dawley Housing Co-operative, bringing further experience of community-led housing, governance, and supporting local residents.
As Chair of Trustees, Janet provides encouragement to the Board and works closely with fellow trustees and the charity’s leadership team to promote strong governance, strategic direction, and sustainable development. Her extensive local knowledge, lived understanding of community needs, and commitment to advocacy help ensure that The Gurkha Centre remains responsive and firmly focused on improving the lives of Gurkha veterans, widows, families, and the wider community.
Anne-Marie Owusu-Afriyie
Anne-Marie Owusu-Afriyie is a dedicated Social Worker, Sexual Health Practitioner and Specialist CAMHS Practitioner with extensive experience in health and social care. Passionate about safeguarding, disability rights, gender equality, and sexual health, she is committed to advocating for vulnerable communities.
Currently working at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, she also conducts Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessments. Anne-Marie has held roles at various councils, focusing on hospital discharge, mental health, and adult services.
As a Trustee for The Gurkha Centre, she applies her expertise in safeguarding and community health to support Gurkha veterans and their families. Her work is centred around promoting dignity, equity, and human rights.
Peter Allan Curling
Peter Allan Curling brings extensive experience in public service, community leadership, and local governance to The Gurkha Centre. He served as a councillor in Hayes for 24 years, including as Leader of the Opposition Labour Group, and contributed to a wide range of council responsibilities including planning, education, executive scrutiny, and the appointment of senior officers.
Peter’s experience spans community service, charity governance, and technology. He has served as a charity trustee, school governor, board member of the South West Middlesex Crematorium, and contributed to the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network. For more than 40 years, he has also volunteered in hospital radio, including serving as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. Professionally, Peter had a career spanning more than 40 years in Information Technology, culminating in Cyber Security. He is a retired member of the British Computer Society (MBCS) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
As a Trustee, Peter brings this breadth of governance, professional, and community experience to The Gurkha Centre. His expertise in scrutiny, organisational governance, technology, and community engagement provides valuable insight to the Board, helping strengthen the charity’s strategic development, resilience, and accountability while ensuring its work remains focused on Gurkha veterans, families, and the wider community.
Binod Baral
Binod Baral is a distinguished Nepali-British chef, entrepreneur, and dedicated humanitarian known for his innovative culinary expertise and profound commitment to social change. As the Goodwill Ambassador and now Trustee for The Gurkha Centre, Binod has been pivotal in guiding the charity toward sustainable growth through strategic partnerships with local businesses.
Beyond his acclaimed mastery in modern culinary arts, Binod passionately advocates for youth and women’s empowerment, education, and responsible tourism. His humanitarian initiatives include hosting impactful fundraisers, cooking for disadvantaged children, and organising special events for Gurkha veterans and their families, reflecting his belief that food is a powerful catalyst for community building and social change. Binod’s unique “borderless cooking” approach embodies his philosophy of “winning people’s hearts through food,” fostering cultural understanding, unity, and compassion.
His continuous dedication helps The Gurkha Centre elevate its mission, ensuring that vulnerable communities receive essential support and recognition globally.
Chandni Patel
Chandni Patel is an experienced youth development and employability professional with a strong commitment to education, inclusion, and community empowerment. Her relationship with The Gurkha Centre began as a volunteer, supporting community activities and later leading online English language classes for members of the Gurkha Nepalese community, giving her valuable first-hand understanding of the charity and the people it serves.
Chandni brings extensive experience in youth development, education, employability, project management, and partnership working. Throughout her career, she has supported disadvantaged young people, including those at risk of exclusion and those not in education, employment, or training (NEET), helping them develop confidence, skills, and aspirations for the future. Her professional experience spans organisations including ThinkForward UK, Career Ready, Connectr, Spark!, Capgemini, and Ambitious about Autism. She has also served as an Enterprise Adviser, helping strengthen connections between education and employers.
As a Trustee, Chandni brings her professional expertise, community experience, and strong commitment to inclusion and empowerment to The Gurkha Centre. Her insight into education, young people, employability, and partnership development contributes valuable perspectives to the Board, while her journey from volunteer to Trustee brings a strong understanding of the Centre’s grassroots work and helps support its strategic development and long-term impact.
Our Leadership and Team
Leadership, operations, and Delivery.
Hari Bhandari
Hari Bhandari is an experienced Social Worker and British Gurkha veteran committed to the welfare of Gurkha veterans, their spouses, widows, and marginalised communities. Holding an MA in Social Work from Brunel University London, he is registered with Social Work England and has extensive experience in hospital discharge, community assessments, mental capacity evaluations, and safeguarding.
As Founder and CEO of The Gurkha Centre, Hari provides strategic leadership, coordinating staff, volunteers, and partners to ensure equitable access to health, welfare, and social care services. A multilingual communicator fluent in English, Nepali, Pashto, Dari, Urdu, and Hindi, he brings unique cultural insight shaped by frontline roles in Afghanistan and UN operations in Kabul.
Hari works tirelessly to address systemic gaps, building a compassionate team and supervising trainee social workers, BSc Global Health students from Imperial College London, and college students from Uxbridge, Richmond, and Harrow. He continues to advocate for justice, dignity, and empowerment across the communities he serves.
Sumita Rai
Sumita Rai has been at the heart of The Gurkha Centre since its genesis and is one of the driving forces behind its growth and success. As a co-founder, she has dedicated countless hours to supporting Gurkha veterans, widows, and families, helping to build the organisation into a trusted source of advice, advocacy, and practical support. Despite her immense contribution, Sumita remains humble, focusing on serving others with compassion and dedication.
With a professional background in nursing and health and social care, Sumita brings extensive knowledge, experience, and empathy to her role. Her healthcare expertise and commitment to community wellbeing have helped shape the charity’s strategic direction, particularly in addressing the needs of the ageing Gurkha population and those facing barriers to accessing services.
Sumita leads the Centre’s health and wellbeing initiatives, delivering health awareness sessions in the Nepali language and supporting beneficiaries to navigate healthcare services with confidence and dignity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked tirelessly to support vulnerable residents by sharing vital health information and promoting public health guidance. Known for her compassion, professionalism, and strong work ethic, Sumita is a trusted and respected figure whose dedication continues to make a lasting difference within the Gurkha and Nepalese community.
Sanjila Joshi
Sanjila Joshi serves as Service Manager at The Gurkha Centre, supporting the effective delivery of the charity’s core services and helping ensure that Gurkha veterans and their families receive compassionate, responsive, and high-quality support. Since joining the Centre in 2024 as Welfare Officer, she has become an integral part of the organisation, working tirelessly to support beneficiaries while contributing significantly to the development and strengthening of our services.
With over eight years of experience in the non-profit sector and two master’s degrees, Sanjila brings professional knowledge, practical experience, strong organisational skills, and compassion to her role. Central to her approach is the belief that no person seeking support should ever feel like simply “a case”. She is committed to ensuring that every individual is treated with dignity, warmth, patience, and empathy and feels genuinely heard and supported.
As Service Manager, Sanjila helps coordinate the Centre’s day-to-day services, supports colleagues involved in frontline delivery, and promotes consistent and person-centred standards of support. Her dedication, hard work, and commitment have contributed significantly to The Gurkha Centre’s development, helping build a stronger organisation that remains firmly focused on Gurkha veterans, families, and people in need.
Gaurav Bhandari
Gaurav Bhandari serves as Projects & Outreach Manager at The Gurkha Centre, supporting the development, coordination, and delivery of the charity’s projects and community initiatives. He leads outreach activities, engages with partner organisations and attends community drop-in sessions, helping identify and support people who may otherwise face barriers to accessing services. He also provides practical support to beneficiaries experiencing urgent needs and helps connect them with appropriate services and onward referrals.
Gaurav holds a BSc in Psychology with Criminology and is currently pursuing an MSc in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience. His professional experience spans the charity, education, hospitality, and retail sectors. Prior to joining The Gurkha Centre, he worked within mainstream and specialist educational settings, with particular experience supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Gaurav played a key role in coordinating The Gurkha Centre’s Healthy Futures Summer Programme, supporting the planning and delivery of an inclusive programme for children and young people. Building on this experience, he now oversees projects from planning through to delivery, supports partnership and outreach work, and helps extend the Centre’s reach within the community. Through this role, Gaurav contributes to ensuring that the charity’s projects are well coordinated, responsive to community needs, and capable of delivering meaningful and lasting impact.
Kamana Rai
Kamana Rai has a longstanding relationship with The Gurkha Centre, first becoming involved in 2020 as a volunteer Teaching Assistant during the charity’s online English language sessions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. After moving to the UK to pursue her MBA in 2021, she joined the Centre as an Admin/Welfare Officer, providing hands-on support to Gurkha veterans, widows, and families with welfare benefits, healthcare, education, and access to public services. She continues to support the Centre on a voluntary basis alongside her full-time professional career.
Kamana has since developed a successful career in finance and management accounting. Combined with her previous experience in administration and frontline community support, she brings a valuable understanding of both organisationalxperience includes management accounts, financial reporting, reconciliations, audit support, financial controls, and process improvement. Combined with her previous experience in administration and frontline community support, she brings a valuable understanding of both organisational systems and the people at the heart of the Centre’s work.
As Finance & HR Officer, Kamana supports the Centre’s financial management, budgeting, reporting, controls, and accountability, alongside its HR administration and people processes. Working with the leadership team and supporting the financial and organisational information required by Trustees, she contributes her professional expertise on a voluntary basis to help strengthen the charity’s financial sustainability, organisational systems, and responsible management of its people and resources.