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King Charles III

Royal Association: Prince Charles and the British Asian Trust

At an event held in Central London last week, it was announced that Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra would be the newest ambassador for the British Asian Trust.

Prince Charles, pictured here in 2011.

Prince Charles, pictured here in 2011.

Founded in 2007 by The Prince of Wales, The British Asian Trust’s goal is to combat poverty in South Asia. Prince Charles has been associated with the Trust for several years now and has succeeded in making quite a difference in the lives of people in developing nations.

The Trust started after Charles saw the poverty and hardship in the region. He attempted to do so by tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit of the British Asian community. The Trust’s objective became encouraging and helped disadvantaged people to transform their lives by linking them with grassroots interventions in the region rather than just giving them financial aid.

“By supporting carefully selected projects, we have shown how we can utterly transform the lives of those in need, creating lasting change,” Prince Charles said about the organisation’s work. The British Asian

Trust is the 20th member of the Prince’s Charities.

The Trust’s primary vision is to unlock the life potential of disadvantaged people in South Asia, to create a South Asia that is free of poverty, injustice and inequality. It focuses on four critical problems faced by developing nations in the region – Abuse and exploitation, education, livelihoods, and health and well-being.

The Trust has played an active role in raising funds and spreading awareness and is backed by some high profile individuals such as Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. Since its inception eight years ago, the British Asian Trust has managed to impact the lives of over three million people from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

“I have been observing their great work for some time and am looking forward to contributing in my way,” Manish Malhotra said about his new role as an ambassador of the Trust.

Ambassadors of the British Asian Trust include comedians Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, cricketers Rahul Dravid and Dimitri Mascarenhas, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, and erstwhile member of One Direction Zayn Malik, all of whom are of South Asian descent.

Photo credit: UK in Spain via Flickr