UK: Government announces Minister for Loneliness Jan 2018 Tracey Couch MP is the first ever minister appointed to combat Social Isolation in the United Kingdom. According to a 2017 research, more than 9 million people always – or often – feel lonely in Britain and around 200,000 older people have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month.
In England it is not unusual to observe young people talking to themselves as they are screen attached, their mobile phone is their only friend with electronic voices here and there as they text and email rather than just visit and talk or even enjoy the countryside from a train, bus or car. Goan People being lonely is very low and would not be considered lonely enough to qualify for research, Most of us are party people and have a low rate of depression, dancing away our troubles with music in addition to catering and liquid refreshment, garnished with gossip and sometimes the latest in designer clothing. Card and Board Games and the occasional sports day keeps us mentally alert. Furthermore we have plenty of opportunities to meet at church, dances, funerals, school runs and family events like birthdays, weddings and christenings. Some Social Events in February 2018 are listed below, you are invited to come out of the cold and join in the warm Goan Atmosphere: Southampton Saturday 10 February Golden Goa Association Carnival Holy Family Church Hall Redbridge Hill SO16 4PL from 19.00 till 23.00 Admission Free for details Whats App or Text Roque 07816195002 London Ealing Sat 10 Feb: Viva Goa Entertainment UK presents 10th RED & BLACK CARNI-VAL-ENTINE 2018 at The Old Actonion Sports Club, Gunnersbury Drive, Acton/Ealing, W5 4LL. From 5:00pm to 11pm. Music by BIG DREAM (Ex India and Rainbows End) & Chico.Tickets-Adults £15, Child £6 (6-12yrs) includes snacks & meal, free entry for below 6 years. Contact Francisco 07957206169 chicoke...@hotmail.com mailto:chicoke...@hotmail.com Charles 07809552654 charlesd...@hotmail.com mailto:charlesd...@hotmail.com Norman 0778035normancor...@hotmail.com mailto:0778035normancor...@hotmail.com London Mitcham Sat 10 February Friend and Family Valentine social St Thomas of Canterbury School, Commonside East,Mitcham Surrey CR4 1YG Contact Jennifer Da Silva 07712273024 Inacio Joao 07908409495 London Mitcham Sun 11 February 3.00pm Goan Chaplaincy Konkani Mass SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church Cranmer Road Mitcham Surrey CR4 4LD London Heston Sun. 11 Feb. A&G is organising The Carnival Dance from 1:00 pm onwards. Pope John Centre, The Green, Heston.TW5 0RL With UK’s Newest Goan Band. THE BIG DREAM. Led by the one and only Abel Nunes (ex-India and ex-Rainbow’s End). Your Mood Setters: Antonio Fernandes and The Youth Voice. Brian Fernandes. Tickets: Adults £15:00 and Children £10:00 below 12 years. Ticket price includes Snacks and a Goan Buffet. Just 200 places so book in advance to avoid disappointment. Fully Licensed Bar. For tickets contact Gabriel: 0208 2307139, Antonio: 07780797967, Brian: 07833494173, Florence: 07905053597. Rights of Admission Reserved. London Wood Green Sun 11 Feb. 40th Anniversary. Mungul Union (UK) celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Woodside High School Hall (ex-white Hart Lane School Hall), White Hart Lane, London N22 5QJ. Mass at 12.30pm. followed by a social gathering. Music by “OUTBREAK” For tickets and details, contact Rosy D'Silva (020 7041 6072); John Mendes 07446066162; Robert Fernandes (07753831250) and Rosalind Rebello (020 8767 8652). As 2017 came to a close, the High Commission of India London provided shelter for the people who keep our community intentionally homeless for a Goan Christmas Party. After all only Goans could dance to the tune of Jingle Bells – Oh what fun. Living in breadline Britain is not easy for Social organisers to have a bespoke social with a feel good factor especially surrounded by predators scavenging for money. I have been short changed at the bar for example at a recent event, a small plastic cup of water. orange or Coke was a £1.00 each. Having measured it myself it takes nine cups to make a litre or retail water at nine pounds a bottle. Good job these people are not involved with the sale of fuels like petrol, oil and diesel also essential to our civilization. Caterers often offer a snack plate with small portions, you need to purchase two or three before you feel you had a snack. Like the Bar, an additional income stream is the Raffle, a Goldmine as Patrons donate attractive prizes, the organisers sell raffles with enthusiastic minors whose efforts raise revenue, for what purpose this is very rarely announced. It can be observed that the people handling the money are the same people at the Raffle table. Also from my observation and personal opinion, taking centre stage of all the Predators is the GWS (Goan Welfare Society). I do not feel there is anything Goan Welfare or Society about this outfit masquerading as a Charity whose lucrative begging appeals to fellow Goans is on an industrial scale normally targeting the elderly who have no family support and the venerable with sob story letters, basket collections at socials and funerals with no public accounts. At a recent village function attended, the last GWS Annual General Meeting notes were on the table and I picked up a copy. This was dated October 2017. To my recollection, it did not indicate who was present but said that there was a balance in 2016 of GBP 212, 500 (Two hundred and twelve thousand five hundred pounds) . It is astonishing with such a large balance, perhaps someone will help me understand why we have had appeals in the whole of 2017 to airfreight dead Goans with Portuguese Passports and no Money to Goa. Sums asked were in multiples of two thousand and four thousand pounds is this for one bedroom or two bedroom coffins! As it is in Goa, I understand there is a shortage of grave diggers. The current amount in the accounts will be able to fund at least 100 coffins to Goa! The must go to “Sold Out” 31 December 2017 social at Wandsworth Town Hall will have increased this opening balance of 2018. Word on the ground was that this event was overcrowded, was there a reason for overcrowding? What about the safety and comfort of their customers? On a success note, I have observed that since my communications on GWS, bereaved families are asking for funeral donations to go to much more accountable and worthy charities. I look forward to our events, Village and Others, being free of basket collections and sobbing letters of appeals in 2018. Targeting the bereaved should also stop immediately with a list of donors published and actual Balance update on revenue, only then GWS may earn its credibility. May I ask Special Advisor to Rt Hon Tracey Couch MP to give the Goan Community a look in for inspiration on Loneliness. The views expressed in this article are personal and should not be used as any authority. Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath Surrey 23 January 2018
