The King Joins Stars at Gala as British Asian Trust Raises £1m
Desk report: His Majesty The King, Royal Founding Patron of the British Asian Trust, joined over 300 distinguished guests at the Peninsula London on Tuesday 9 June 2026 for the charity’s Annual Dinner and Reception, which raised more than £1 million to support vital development work across South Asia.
The high-profile gala celebrated a historic milestone for the organization, which has now reached and transformed the lives of over 18.8 million marginalized people across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka since its inception in 2007.
The evening offered a poignant look back at the charity’s origins, which were inspired by a 2007 India-Pakistan charity cricket match. During the reception, His Majesty was presented with a framed photograph from that foundational event, featuring himself alongside the two team captains.
The star-studded event was hosted by Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE and attended by prominent figures from the arts, entertainment, and business sectors, including Dame Meera Syal, Mahira Khan, Konnie Huq, Kunal Nayyar, Preeya Kalidas, Gurinder Chadha, Naughty Boy, and Nihal Arthanayake. Guests were also treated to an exclusive live performance by international recording artist Jay Sean.
The £1 million raised during the evening—sponsored by Westcombe Group, OakNorth, and Godwit Travel—will directly fund the British Asian Trust’s pioneering programmes in child protection, education, livelihoods, mental health, and environmental conservation.
Speaking on the impact of the event, Hitan Mehta OBE, CEO of the British Asian Trust, said:
“We are grateful for the continued interest our Royal Founding Patron, His Majesty The King, takes in the Trust’s work. His deep and longstanding support for the British Asian Trust is a source of inspiration for our ambitions. Tonight, we also celebrate the extraordinary impact being delivered across South Asia, made possible by the commitment and generosity of the British Asian diaspora and our wider partners.”
The gala put a spotlight on the charity’s latest ambitious breakthroughs in social finance and conservation over the past year, which include:
- The Pakistan Skills Impact Bond: Securing a landmark PKR 1 billion government guarantee endorsed by the Prime Minister. This marks Pakistan’s first-ever outcomes-based financing programme for youth employment.
- The NEST Outcomes Facility in India: Launching a USD 4 million initiative—India’s first outcomes-based finance facility—designed to drive sustainable income growth for nano entrepreneurs.
- Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation: Achieving a remarkable 98% reduction in human and elephant casualties within the Trust’s environmental project areas.
