PRINCE Charles has praised the Indian community in Coventry for raising funds to help those affected by Covid-19 in India. His remarks came as the prince met members of the Indian diaspora on Tuesday (25) during his visit to Coventry, as part of events to mark the city being named the UK City of Culture 2021.
“I am enormously proud that all of you and your generosity, here in the United Kingdom, has done so much to help those in India who are going through such an incredibly difficult time,” said the prince. “It seems that almost every member of the diaspora here in the United Kingdom knows someone affected. So, I can understand even more, how much it means to them.”
The prince also interacted with Indians who have been directly affected by the pandemic in India through friends and relatives living in the subcontinent. In his remarks, he noted the work of the British Asian Trust, of which he is patron, and said its emergency appeal was made to ensure that oxygen concentrators reach India “where there is a real need.”
“Clearly, there is much more that needs to be done to provide support and of course, to help build back better,” he said.
The trust's 'Oxygen For India' appeal is raising funds to provide 4,835 oxygen concentrators and two oxygen generators apart from medical supplies and telemedical links to about 2,000 villages in India. To date, the appeal has raised £4 million.
Accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles visited local landmarks in the city, including Coventry Cathedral, Coventry Central Library, and Coventry Canal.
An aerial view of the British Steel Scunthorpe site on September 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
Mehakdeep Singh,Sehajpal Singh
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski