Latest news with #StWilfridsChurch
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Bradford group giving back to generation who 'came with nothing and built lives'
A COMMUNITY group that brings joy to Bradford's older generations is set to celebrate its 20 year anniversary. Anand Milan Elderly Centre - a place for making friends, enjoying chai and homecooked meals, exercise or other activities - started in 2005. Now it has more than 160 members, a waiting list and a calendar jam-packed with events and even holidays to Croatia. It has members who are in their 50s all the way to their nineties. Based at St Wilfrid's Church, the group is held from 9am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Some of the founders and trustees at Anand Milan Elderly Centre (Image: Newsquest) Centre manager Harkishan Mistry said: 'If it wasn't for them we wouldn't be where we are now. Our parents' motto when they came to this country was education, education, education. They spent all their money, working night shifts, day shifts, whatever money they had put it to the side and made sure we had a good education. Because of that we're all living a really good life. 'But the hardship they went through, coming to this country in the 60s and 70s. The sacrifices they made for us was incredible. 'I would say over 90 per cent of the children have gone to university. It's because knowledge is power. 'A majority of these people have come from Africa, went from India to Africa, Africa to this country - when Idi Amin kicked everybody out from Kenya and Uganda. The majority of them came with nothing and they've built lives here. Members of Anand Milan Elderly Centre enjoy music from some of the trustees who perform bhajans - lyrical songs expressing devotion to Hindu deities (Image: Newsquest) 'They just love coming here. '35 people on the waiting list says it all.' One of the original founders of the group - now aged 87 - remains as a trustee despite handing the baton onto the next generation. The club had many homes before moving to St Wilfrid's church hall in 2012. Some members of the group played Chokri - a popular card game from India (Image: Newsquest) Shantilal Mistry said: 'I personally come from Tanzania back in 1964 so I've been here 60 years now. 'When we came life was very difficult. People used to work in mills. We were renting a room, only a few people had houses. There were not many facilities in the house - no toilet, they were outside, no central heating. 'Most of them were really poor.' He added: 'In 2005, a few of us got together and then decided that we should do something for the elderly people. We had a meeting and we started with a few people.' Chefs Daxa Mistry, Ramila Kalyan, and Manjula Mistry (Image: Newsquest) At 1pm, the trio of chefs in the kitchen cook up a fresh, nutritious meal - from daal and roti to sweet desserts like lapsi - for £3. It is cooked up by volunteers Daxa Mistry, Ramila Kalyan, and Manjula Mistry. 'I feel I forget about everything,' said Chanchal Mistry, whose husband and son sadly died. 'If I miss it I don't like it at all.' Jagdishbhai Lad struggled to cope after his daughter and two grand-daughters died in a stabbing at their home in Clayton. 'Afterwards I was really bad,' he told the T&A. 'After joining I had my spirit back again.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'As a German, I celebrate everything about VE Day'
A German vicar in Leicestershire says he was proud to celebrate 80 years since World War Two ended in Europe. The Reverend Ludger Fremmer, from St Wilfrid's Church in Kibworth, said many people in his home country would have felt "liberated" when Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies. However, he said his father was a prisoner of war after being captured by Soviet forces, and was not released for another four years after the end of the war. After taking part in memorial events in the village, he said the 80th anniversary had been an important occasion for reminding the world about the value of peace. Mr Fremmer said: "Our history makes us what we are, and for me as a German I celebrate everything that we celebrated when we remember the milestones from the end of the war, because for me I always think that nobody really wins a war, everyone loses. "I think what the British forces did, what the Allied forces did, when they had to fight back against the [Nazi] regime in Germany, they in the end liberated the German people too, and so for me, it's a reason to celebrate and remember." While the 80th anniversary of VE Day is the centre of celebrations and commemorations across Europe, Mr Fremmer said the reaction in Germany in 1945 would have been "very mixed". "I think relief would be part of it, relief it's finally ending, because everyone was suffering during that time," he said. "It took a long time before it was rebuilt and before it became really a liberation for everyone, but where we are today is a result of that day, where this hostility's ended, the Nazis had to give up, they had to be defeated. "I think many Germans would have either been in fear because they were part of the Nazi party, but many others were glad that freedom was coming." Mr Fremmer's father had been fighting near Stalingrad on the eastern front when he was taken away as a prisoner of war, where he was forced to work in coal mines. "Many didn't survive, many didn't come home, [but] he somehow was resilient enough to make it," he said. "Eventually it was negotiated with the Russian people that they would release those prisoners too, but it was a difficult thing to come after the war, after such a long time." Mr Fremmer said some of his "most special memories" in 18 years at the parish have been hosting memorial events for the community. With the 80th anniversary of VE Day marked by rising tensions around the world, he hopes the commemorations of a landmark moment in Europe's history can help the pursuit of a lasting peace. "I think all of us in Europe - whether German, whether British, whatever we are - we all want to make sure this never happens again," he said. "We want to make sure that there isn't an opportunity for any kind of evil to rise up, extremism to rise up and take over, and we need to guard that. "We need to remember - if we don't remember we will not learn, we will make the same mistakes again." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Children moved by VE Day letter from WW2 veteran Mystery knitter recreates VE Day party conga City's WW2 voices to feature in new exhibition St Wilfrid's at Kibworth
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'As a German, I celebrate everything about VE Day'
A German vicar in Leicestershire says he was proud to celebrate 80 years since World War Two ended in Europe. The Reverend Ludger Fremmer, from St Wilfrid's Church in Kibworth, said many people in his home country would have felt "liberated" when Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies. However, he said his father was a prisoner of war after being captured by Soviet forces, and was not released for another four years after the end of the war. After taking part in memorial events in the village, he said the 80th anniversary had been an important occasion for reminding the world about the value of peace. Mr Fremmer said: "Our history makes us what we are, and for me as a German I celebrate everything that we celebrated when we remember the milestones from the end of the war, because for me I always think that nobody really wins a war, everyone loses. "I think what the British forces did, what the Allied forces did, when they had to fight back against the [Nazi] regime in Germany, they in the end liberated the German people too, and so for me, it's a reason to celebrate and remember." While the 80th anniversary of VE Day is the centre of celebrations and commemorations across Europe, Mr Fremmer said the reaction in Germany in 1945 would have been "very mixed". "I think relief would be part of it, relief it's finally ending, because everyone was suffering during that time," he said. "It took a long time before it was rebuilt and before it became really a liberation for everyone, but where we are today is a result of that day, where this hostility's ended, the Nazis had to give up, they had to be defeated. "I think many Germans would have either been in fear because they were part of the Nazi party, but many others were glad that freedom was coming." Mr Fremmer's father had been fighting near Stalingrad on the eastern front when he was taken away as a prisoner of war, where he was forced to work in coal mines. "Many didn't survive, many didn't come home, [but] he somehow was resilient enough to make it," he said. "Eventually it was negotiated with the Russian people that they would release those prisoners too, but it was a difficult thing to come after the war, after such a long time." Mr Fremmer said some of his "most special memories" in 18 years at the parish have been hosting memorial events for the community. With the 80th anniversary of VE Day marked by rising tensions around the world, he hopes the commemorations of a landmark moment in Europe's history can help the pursuit of a lasting peace. "I think all of us in Europe - whether German, whether British, whatever we are - we all want to make sure this never happens again," he said. "We want to make sure that there isn't an opportunity for any kind of evil to rise up, extremism to rise up and take over, and we need to guard that. "We need to remember - if we don't remember we will not learn, we will make the same mistakes again." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Children moved by VE Day letter from WW2 veteran Mystery knitter recreates VE Day party conga City's WW2 voices to feature in new exhibition St Wilfrid's at Kibworth
BBC News
10-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'As a German, I celebrate everything about VE Day', vicar says
A German vicar in Leicestershire says he was proud to celebrate 80 years since World War Two ended in Reverend Ludger Fremmer, from St Wilfrid's Church in Kibworth, said many people in his home country would have felt "liberated" when Nazi Germany surrendered to the he said his father was a prisoner of war after being captured by Soviet forces, and was not released for another four years after the end of the taking part in memorial events in the village, he said the 80th anniversary had been an important occasion for reminding the world about the value of peace. Mr Fremmer said: "Our history makes us what we are, and for me as a German I celebrate everything that we celebrated when we remember the milestones from the end of the war, because for me I always think that nobody really wins a war, everyone loses."I think what the British forces did, what the Allied forces did, when they had to fight back against the [Nazi] regime in Germany, they in the end liberated the German people too, and so for me, it's a reason to celebrate and remember."While the 80th anniversary of VE Day is the centre of celebrations and commemorations across Europe, Mr Fremmer said the reaction in Germany in 1945 would have been "very mixed"."I think relief would be part of it, relief it's finally ending, because everyone was suffering during that time," he said."It took a long time before it was rebuilt and before it became really a liberation for everyone, but where we are today is a result of that day, where this hostility's ended, the Nazis had to give up, they had to be defeated."I think many Germans would have either been in fear because they were part of the Nazi party, but many others were glad that freedom was coming." 'We need to remember' Mr Fremmer's father had been fighting near Stalingrad on the eastern front when he was taken away as a prisoner of war, where he was forced to work in coal mines."Many didn't survive, many didn't come home, [but] he somehow was resilient enough to make it," he said."Eventually it was negotiated with the Russian people that they would release those prisoners too, but it was a difficult thing to come after the war, after such a long time."Mr Fremmer said some of his "most special memories" in 18 years at the parish have been hosting memorial events for the the 80th anniversary of VE Day marked by rising tensions around the world, he hopes the commemorations of a landmark moment in Europe's history can help the pursuit of a lasting peace."I think all of us in Europe - whether German, whether British, whatever we are - we all want to make sure this never happens again," he said."We want to make sure that there isn't an opportunity for any kind of evil to rise up, extremism to rise up and take over, and we need to guard that."We need to remember - if we don't remember we will not learn, we will make the same mistakes again."
