HINDU RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATION OF LEAMINGTON SPA AND WARWICK Hindus have been present in Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England, for up to four generations working and positively contributing towards the growth of local economy and creating harmonious Community Relations. Hindu Religious Association of Leamington and Warwick (HRA) was registered (Charity Number 512968) in the year 1984 as a charity with the Charity Commission of England and Wales to promote HINDUISM and its CULTURE for its members within the local area.
Religious and Cultural meetings were held in local Community and Youth Centres by transporting makeshift Mandaps for prayer and worship sessions within these hired premises, as and when they were available. These venues and facilities were available irregularly and did not satisfy the requirements of the membership and soon it was realized that the association would need its own premises.
In 1986, a disused Factory in the centre of Leamington was identified as appropriate premises, meeting all requirements of that time, for a sum of £39,000.00. £21,000.00 was raised out of the generosity of the local community and a loan of £18,000.00 was secured from a local bank as a loan to make up the asking amount. The generosity of the local members enabled the early repayment of this loan by using interest free contributions from the membership. Extensive alterations to the newly acquired premises were necessary to convert this building into a functioning Temple that would be suitable for prayers, with its own Community Centre for cultural and social activities. Having exhausted its own resources, the association made an application for a Grant under the Urban Aid Programme of Warwick District Council.
Regrettably this programme was removed from our area and in view of this development, the association decided to fund its development in two stages. The first phase would require £35,000.00. Warwick District Council granted financial assistance of £13,000.00. The shortfall was bridged by another bank loan. Phase One was completed on time, leaving the new site short of a fully operative Mandir and a community centre. Phase two, requiring a further £35,000.00 of funds involved appeals to local established businesses for financial support, with assurances given out by the committee that all received funds would be fully utilised for the development of the building, and not to repay association loans.
On 22nd July to 24th July 1994 Pran Prathishta Ceremony for the Moorties, generously donated by Pujya Ram Bappa ji was conducted under the spiritual guidance of Swami Arjun Puri ji, from Haridwar in India. Regular Mandir prayers, programmes and religious services were now possible mainly by using the services of locum Pandit ji’s, until 4th Jan 2018 when we employed Shastri Apurv Jani Ji as our permanent Minister of Religion. In August 2019 the association progressed to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and now enjoys the benefits associated with this structure of governance. ‘HRA’ was replaced by ‘Shree Krishna Resource Centre (SKRC)’ under this structure. All future Trustees, (Governing and Managing) will be ‘Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS)’ cleared before being engaged in committee matters. Presently (January 2020) a redevelopment project of the present site is under way that will see a new Mandir on the present site incorporating a Community Centre and Indoor Sports facilities within its boundary.
