Ramesh Vala CBE – Another community success story

The Platinum Jubilee Celebrations were a huge tribute to Her Majesty the Queen for 70 years of selfless service to our country. The celebrations brought the country together.  It was also a time of joy for our community as one of our very own was honoured.

Ramesh Vala OBE was elevated to Ramesh Vala CBE – a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to Charity, Community and Covid -19 response. It is arguably either the second or third highest civilian honour in this country.

We congratulate Ramesh and his family for bringing such honour to the entire Jansari community.

Ramesh’s life journey to-date would need a whole book but we have attached a short note below which it is hoped will inspire all who read it.

From the back streets of Nairobi to two national recognitions!

“I am both deeply humbled and honoured to have been appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in Her Majesty The Queen’s 2022 Birthday Honours list (having previously been appointed an Officer (OBE) of the same Order in 2001). For the little boy who grew up in the back streets of Nairobi, to have been twice honoured in the country he is proud to call his home is huge!

I am so thankful to so many, my incredible wife (Ella), family and friends, clients and colleagues, who over the years have shaped my thoughts and actions. I am grateful for the guidance of some brilliant individuals who have been on this journey with me, challenging and stretching me every step of the way. This recognition would not have happened without you and this is for you. Sincerely, my heartfelt appreciation to you all.

I am delighted that I have been afforded so many opportunities to give back. The diversity of the opportunities I have been lucky to have been able to spearhead has been a blessing and the funds we have raised (over £2m) for various causes have often left me speechless.

My most recent memories stem from being able to make a difference during Covid-19 in many different areas. An area where my strategic skills had impact was the provision of meals to the police, ambulance services, care homes, food banks as well as various NHS hospitals in London. I was also able to have a direct impact by volunteering as a front line NHS responder.

I take this opportunity to re-affirm my continued commitment to working tirelessly to serve the public and the communities in which I live and balancing this with my professional life.”

Ramesh’s Journey:

‘People who know Ramesh socially through his community work and in his professional capacity as a lawyer and brand ambassador describe him as a modest man with a lifetime’s worth of achievement, wisdom, courage and inspiration. He is the ultimate example of how a single person can make such an impact to uplift the lives of so many, while wearing these initiatives lightly. He is the man who does not believe that the glass is half full, instead for him, with effort and focus, the glass can over-flow!

The amazing achievements of Ramesh are enough to inspire anybody to start making a difference.

Ramesh accepted responsibility from a very young age. He tragically lost his mother during his childhood in Nairobi and thus became a parental figure to his baby sister and two brothers. He watched over his siblings when he was just a child himself whilst his father worked long hours to make ends meet.

However, his dream of becoming a lawyer, his tenacity, his intellectual prowess and his ‘can do’ attitude led him to being a super achiever in school. Ramesh completed schooling in Kenya with an outstanding result in his ‘A’ levels and got recognised as the top all-round student (House Captain, Senior Prefect, Debating and Quiz Captain, Captain of the School Cricket team, and Vice-Captain of the School Hockey team).

With the limited financial help that his family could spare and the kind gesture of a lady benefactor, Ramesh came to the UK and studied Law at the London School of Economics. By moving from the then small city of Nairobi to even then the big City of London, Ramesh proved that success comes only to those who chase it.

On graduation, Ramesh joined a central London law firm and had a meteoric rise, becoming a salaried partner a mere eighteen months after qualifying as a lawyer. Within another two years, he was an equity partner in a top 100 British law firm, one of only ten from a minority ethnic background at that time.

In 2003, Ramesh was nominated as one of four finalists at the Southern Jewel awards in the Legal Excellence category. The awards were a widespread celebration of Asian achievement and success in the business world, and were supported by many of Britain’s leading politicians and businesses.

Throughout his professional life, Ramesh has mentored and assisted many young lawyers and other professionals to break the glass ceiling and achieve their dreams. His selfless pursuit of continuing to guide the young to achieve their potential is an inspiration to many.

He could not have achieved these objectives without his engaging and charming personality and persuasive skills.

His boundless energy has not been restricted to his professional sphere only. His passion and zest for charity work over the decades, enabling lifting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in the society, is what sets him apart. His wide ranging charity work encompasses support for Cancer relief, girls education, anti-slavery, natural disaster relief, hospital facilities, sports for disabled children, food for poor children and eyesight surgeries for the poor – across UK, Africa, India and truly reflects the measure of the man.

In August 1993, Ramesh climbed Mount Kenya (17,040 ft) and raised £6,000.00 for the Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund. In 1995, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the ‘Roof of Africa’ – a breath-taking 19,370 ft – raising a further £11,000.00 for Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund and £4,000.00 for Anti-Slavery International.

In the summer of 1996, Ramesh persuaded a client of Jeffrey Green Russell Solicitors (his then firm), to donate £100,000.00 towards the Ultra-Fast Scanner Appeal of the Harefield Hospital Fund.

In May 2000, Ramesh led a team of nine businessmen and professionals up Mount Kenya in aid of the Children of Mukuru charity, which educates orphaned girls in Nairobi.. This climb raised £49,000.00 towards the construction of a skills centre for the girls, to help to keep them off the streets following the completion of their education.

In 2001, Ramesh masterminded a relief-fund project aiding suffering communities following the January 26th earthquake in Gujarat, India. £350,000 was raised in a mere four hours, leading to a whole village of 335 homes being rebuilt, as well as three schools in the disaster struck region.

Ramesh’s contribution to society did not stop there. His many fund raising initiatives for Get Kids Going! is truly inspiring. In April 2002, he ran the London Marathon and raised £16,500.00 for it. In June 2003, Ramesh led a team in a fundraising walk across the three peaks of the Yorkshire Dales, and in doing so raised substantial funds which were distributed amongst three main charities; Sargent Cancer Care for Children, Jain Spirit and Get Kids Going!. In November 2003, Ramesh completed the New York Marathon, raising £7,500.00 for each of two charities; CancerBackUp and Get Kids Going!

On 14 July 2004, Ramesh led an inter-faith blessing from the pulpit at St. Paul’s Cathedral under the watchful eye of the then Bishop of London (Lord Charteris), which went a long way towards demonstrating what modern Britain is all about.

In April 2005, Ramesh led a group of 90 cyclists on an expedition from Nairobi to the Ngorongoro Crater; they covered 263 kilometres in three and a half days. This cycling expedition raised £200,000.00 for Food For Global Life. The result of this has been long lasting: 15,000 children living in the surrounding areas of Nairobi are now fed one hot meal a week from the interest alone, with the capital monies remaining intact.

In October 2005, Ramesh ran the Great North Run and raised funds for Get Kids Going! In June 2006, Ramesh ran a half marathon through the Lewa Game Reserve in Kenya, raising funds for the Tusk Trust.

In September 2013, Ramesh anchored and masterminded a glittering fund-raising dinner and auction at The May Fair hotel in London. The event was attended by the royalty of Bollywood, Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Soha Ali Khan, alongside the cream of British Asian society. The event raised £160,000.00 for the Venu Eye Institute in Delhi and the Pataudi Trust, enabling the two charities to carry out 8,000 cataract operations (at £20.00 per operation) and giving hope and dignity to 8,000 families and 30,000 individuals.

Ramesh has raised, directly and indirectly, over £2 million (sterling) for various charities.

Ramesh is also a role model and an advocate for the unique and proud role of the British Indian community in our country.

His philosophy on this important issue for our social cohesion is captured in his words at an inter-faith blessing at the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden in 2005 attended by the Bishop of London and leaders of the Hindu, Sikh, Moslem and Jewish faiths. What Ramesh said as part of his address is noteworthy:

“Asians in this country represent a microcosm of the two pillars of religious tolerance and cultural diversity rarely found elsewhere. The success of Asians has been a unique and successful experiment borne out of typical  values of tolerance, fair play and hard work. These values are no better exemplified than in the day-to-day lives of Asian families.

The Asian Community here has now made Britain its home. In the face of economic hardship, prejudice and indigenous suspicion, Asians first survived and then thrived to help make Britain a leading member of the international community. However, it is not enough that we should just make money and be rich. With success, comes responsibility, and this responsibility includes giving something back to the world’s poorest communities.

Despite our apparent differences, we all come from one God and we shall return to him. Humankind should be told there is no Black and no White, for Black is White and White is Black. So let us not do anything that might hurt anybody anywhere in this world for we are part of each soul and each soul is part of us.”

Ramesh has championed for decades the recognition of the history, contributions and assimilation of the British Indian community in the UK.

In 1989, he led a fund-raising committee to set up a Centre for Research in Asian Migration (‘CRAM’) at Warwick University. The establishment of CRAM marked the beginning of a new chapter in the field of historical academic research in Britain. Its aim was to put on record the then unknown and, often ignored, facts relating to the contributions, past as well as present, made by the peoples of the South East Asian countries, not only in Britain, but to all the countries to which they have migrated.

One of the aims was to correct the historical bias and record the magnificent gesture of self-sacrifice made by the soldiers of the South East Asian countries during the two World Wars. Fighting side by side and shoulder to shoulder sharing all the risks of war with the British but none of the glory – “never in history had a nation gone to war fighting for freedom when its own freedom was nowhere in sight”.

For three decades, Ramesh has been associated with Tamasha which is now Britain’s foremost touring theatre company producing new plays inspired by perspectives which captures themes representing Britain’s diverse culture. Ramesh supported Tamasha at its inception, by part sponsoring its first production (‘The Untouchables’). Since then, Tamasha has established itself as the voice of emerging and established artistes from culturally diverse backgrounds (with plays like ‘East is East’ and ‘A Fine Balance’ under its banner).

After years of service of steering and guiding Tamasha as one of its Board Directors, Ramesh became one of its Patrons. Ramesh’s unwavering championing of Tamasha’s work is a testimony to his significant contribution in the cultural sphere especially in tackling themes and multiple narratives critical in our diverse and evolving British society.

Ramesh is also a global ambassador for our country. He amplifies and advocates for British law firms and businesses wherever he goes – be it India, Dubai, or Africa. He selflessly opens doors for British businesses in other countries through the use of his very wide and influential network. His pride in representing his country is palpable and his various efforts have been recognised by different countries.

Ramesh has received various accolades and in recognition of his OBE (in 2001), the Indian Government honoured him with a Videsh Samman as a token of appreciation for contributing to the enhancement of human welfare and Indo-British understanding.

Having met Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other world leaders, Ramesh’s biggest inspiration remains Mother Teresa with whom he was fortunate to spend a whole day in November 1995. Ramesh had encouraged clients of his to build an orphanage for Mother’s charity in Calcutta and was invited to be at the hand-over ceremony. Her humility and dedication left a lasting impression on Ramesh.

What more can one say about a man with such compassion in his heart? Ramesh is an individual who not only envisioned success but achieved and shared it with those less fortunate all around the world. He is a simple man, whose modesty and outlook inspires every single person that he meets. His daily inspiration is his wife, Ella, who shares his passion to ‘do good’ and help the less fortunate. She has been a rock by his side.

In the words of the famous behavioural psychologist, Albert Bandura, ‘Humans are producers of their life circumstances, not just products of them’ and Ramesh continues to prove this.