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 Back To About Us
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Liberty Centre – DHASOL’s London Property
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The Executive Committee & the Trustees of the Dhasol had always been talking
about the idea of purchasing our own property for the last few years and had looked
at a few properties without any success.
It started in June 1992 when Mr Jayeshbhai Mohanbhai found a school property in
Colliers Row and supported us in arranging our annual gathering in the school premises
but failed to complete the deal due to local residents’ objections.
But it gathered the momentum and again after few years we looked at a Football Club
in Queensbury, another Football & Sports Club in Kenton and a property in East
Lane, Wembley but we were not successful.
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Our luck then changed and in November 2006 we were offered the Liberty Centre, Mount
Pleasant, Wembley, on a rental basis. All of the trustees and the committee members
went over to see the place and were impressed with the location and opportunities
it offered.
During February 2007 Manharbhai Patel went to see our trustee Mr Narendrabhai Patel,
who also at that time was the accountant for the owner of the Liberty Centre, to
negotiate the rental term and while talking he mentioned if it can be sold to us.
A meeting took place the next day and with the agreement of our trustee Narendrabhai
and our President Mr Mukundbhai Patel and we decided to go ahead and purchase the
freehold property at a value of £440,000. The proposal was first put to the
entire executive committee and was passed to go ahead for the purchase.
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Gaureshbhai, Manharbhai along with Mukundbhai started the negotiations with the
Banks and Finance Companies and soon completed the most suited loan on 25 years
term with National Westminster Bank plc.
Building work commenced in September 2007 and complete renovation work including
a new suspended ceiling, air conditioning system, fire alarm system, electrics,
net work cabling, kitchen facilities , male and female toilets, second floor office/storage
space, carpet and flooring covering and decorating work for the entire place was
completed in January 2008 at a cost of approx £40,000.
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The ground floor is let on a 25 years lease and the first floor is being used at
present for our own society’s meetings and for the letting to other organisations
such as Chha Gam Nagrik Mandal / National Congress of Gujarati Organisations (NCGO)
/ Sardar Patel / Sojitra Samaj etc on a regular basis. Plus we have also been fortunate
to have more intimate functions like our Mehfil Evenings there because the property
can hold up to approx 150 people. We already use the property for our monthly committee
meetings, social events, yoga classes and other health advisory meetings.
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Our main reason to purchase the Liberty Centre was because we often had our Dharmajwalas
ask why the money raised at our events was not going into a property that our generation
here in this country could use. We now hope that more of our Dharmajwalas come forward
and make use of this property as they had so wished for us to do for them. More
importantly, we hope that the younger generation can make use of the property in
terms of if they need to hire a small communal space for meetings or lectures etc.
We would like to give thanks to Mr Mukeshbhai Muljibhai Patel of CHETNA CATERERS
for his immense support and guidance in completing the work and also to Mr Naineshbhai
Rasikbhai Patel in providing complete building work in a very short time.
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Also we cannot forget the support and running around done by our trustee Mr Dinubhai
Raojibhai Patel who has all of the time supervised the work being carried out and
continues to manage the property when it is being hired out. Also we would like
to thank our young Marketing Executive, Mr Gaureshbhai Vaikuntbhai Patel, for the
negotiations and time he had spent in finalising the deal with the Bank.
This acquisition has given all Dharmajwala’s another feather in our hat to
be proud of, as no other single village organisation has been able to acquire any
such asset for community use.
The entire Executive committee has worked hard in getting this project completed
and now it is the turn for all of you DHARMAJWALAS to give your full support in
providing the necessary funding we require to pay off the bank loan. You can do
this by the way of either paying a lump sum of what ever you wish to donate or by
the way of monthly standing order. If you would like to
offer your support please contact one of our executive committee members.
We hope your support, as in the past, will help us in completing our full loan payments
to the Bank sooner than the full term of the loan.
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