Chairman of Jaspar Group and Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Jaspar Foundation, Raj Pankhania established the charitable Foundation in 2009.
Raj and his family lived in Harrow for over 35 years. He saw the elderly population sitting on park benches and wandering the shopping malls just to pass time as they had nowhere to congregate during the day.
This propelled the Foundation’s first major project: to establish a day centre for the elderly in Harrow. In 2013, Jaspar Group transformed the town’s former magistrates building, converting it into a new facility – Jaspar Centre. Raj was inspired to open Jaspar Centre, in loving memory of his parents, Jasodaben and Parshottambhai Pankhania.
Jaspar Centre provided leisure and recreational activities for elderly people.
The aim of the centre was to create a meeting point for the local elderly population to form friendships, enjoy shared interests and activities, and feel a sense of belonging. The Jaspar Centre fulfilled its aim by providing a hub for uniting all through wellbeing, spirituality and culture.
The centre became a focal point in Harrow, helping to alleviate loneliness and social isolation, whilst also promoting social inclusion and positive mental health.
Jaspar Centre was subsequently sold to another charity in 2019. The Pankhania Family and Trustees felt the need to grow and spread the Jaspar Foundation reach, in order to touch more lives.
“Giving back is so important to us. In giving to others, they feel great and in turn this makes us feel content and gratified”
Raj Pankhania