The appeal launched by the British Malayali Charity Foundation (BMCF) to support 26-year-old Rankine Mathew from Kollam, who was left bedridden following a serious accident during his studies in the UK, is gaining strong momentum. Within just four days of its launch, a total of £8,269 has been raised through generous contributions.

Out of this amount, £6,180 was donated by 290 contributors via the KindLink platform, while £1,255 was received through bank transfers. In addition, £1,050 was added as Gift Aid from KindLink donations, bringing the total to £8,269.

Rankine arrived in the UK last September to pursue an MSc in Project Management at a London university. After months of searching, he secured a job at a warehouse dealing with dismantling and selling used cars, which helped him manage his living and study expenses. Just as life was beginning to stabilise, tragedy struck.

He suffered a severe accident at work, resulting in serious injuries to his spine and legs, leaving him bedridden. Due to prolonged hospitalisation, his studies have been interrupted.

To come to the UK, Rankine had taken a loan of approximately ₹15 lakh by mortgaging his family home and property. Unfortunately, there is no possibility of recovering the tuition fees already paid, and as his job was casual employment, he is not eligible for support from his employer.

Back home, his only dependents are his ailing parents. With his future in the UK now uncertain, urgent support is needed to help him return to India, continue rehabilitation treatment, and repay his debts.

The BMCF initiated this appeal with confidence in the compassion of the UK Malayali community, known for standing by those in need. Organisers are urging everyone to extend their support and help this young man rebuild his life.

The appeal is ongoing, and further contributions are warmly welcomed.

To support Rankie please click the link below:

https://www.kindlink.com/fundraising/British-Malayali-Charity-Foundation/rankinemathewappeal

London: What began as a hopeful dream of a better life in the UK has turned into a devastating fight for survival for Saroja (41) and her husband Thadevoos (51) from Pulluvila, Thiruvananthapuram. Three years ago, they arrived on a visit visa after spending their life savings — trusting agents who falsely promised to convert it into a work permit. Since then, the couple has been living undocumented, surviving on cash-in-hand work and constant anxiety.

Recently, Saroja began suffering from severe abdominal and back pain. After multiple misdiagnoses and hospital visits, doctors at Newham Hospital delivered the heartbreaking news: she has an aggressive and rare form of sarcoma cancer. Her condition continues to worsen, leaving her in unbearable pain while her husband remains by her side, exhausted and emotionally shattered.

In this darkest moment, a ray of support emerged. The British Malayali Charity Foundation (BMCF), recognising their critical situation, has transferred £2,000 from its General Fund to help the couple. Because of their visa status, many charities had turned away — making BMCF’s support a crucial lifeline.

Friends have also launched a fundraising campaign to assist with urgent needs, as the couple faces an uncertain and frightening future. Married for 17 years with no children, they now rely solely on the compassion and solidarity of the community around them.

In a foreign land, far from home, they are fighting a battle they never imagined — but they are not alone.

UK Malayalees Raise £25,250 in Two Days to Repatriate Aneena’s Body and Support Grieving Family

Ilford, London: In a touching display of unity and compassion, the UK Malayalee community has raised £25,250 within just two days to help repatriate the body of Aneena — the young student who tragically passed away after sudden brain death — and to support her heartbroken family in Kerala.

Around 1,500 people came forward with generous contributions to ensure that Aneena is taken home with dignity. Her body is currently kept in the mortuary at King George Hospital, Ilford, while final formalities with the Indian Embassy are nearing completion.

Through the KindLink platform, £21,154 was raised, along with £3,370 received as Gift Aid. After deducting £634 as platform charges and adding £1,346 from the bank transfer plus £14 from the British Malayali Charity Foundation (BMCF) General Fund, the total reached £25,250.

Aneena, one of triplet daughters and a beacon of hope for her financially struggling family, had travelled to London after her parents took a ₹20 lakh loan, dreaming she would secure a career that could lift them out of hardship. She was pursuing a postgraduate programme in Sustainable Agriculture at Middlesex University, excelling in a rarely chosen field that promised strong future job prospects.

Those dreams were shattered when she collapsed and was rushed to King George Hospital last Thursday. Despite desperate prayers for her recovery, Saturday evening brought the devastating confirmation of her passing — a reality her family is still struggling to accept.

The community effort to support the family has been hailed as a remarkable act of love and solidarity, showing how UK Malayalees come together in moments of profound tragedy. For a family surviving on the father’s modest autorickshaw income back home, this assistance offers a lifeline amid unimaginable loss.

As arrangements progress to bring Aneena back to her homeland, her story has become a heartfelt reminder of the fragility of life — and the strength found in compassion.

Stoke-on-Trent: In an overwhelming display of compassion and unity, the UK Malayali community has come together to raise £18,650 for Divya Mathew, a nurse from Stoke-on-Trent who suffered a severe stroke that left her bedridden. What began as a one-day appeal that aimed to collect £10,000 exceeded all expectations, reflecting the deep generosity of the community.

A total of £13,815 was received through the KindLink platform, along with £2,562 in Gift Aid and £2,754 through direct bank transfers. After deducting £483 as KindLink’s processing fee, the remaining amount was topped up from the general fund, bringing the total to £18,650, which will be handed over to Divya.

Divya, who worked as a nurse at the Royal Stoke University Hospital’s Cancer Ward, suffered a stroke on August 15, 2024, which left one side of her body paralyzed. Since then, she has been wheelchair-bound and unable to work. Her NHS employer had to revoke her work permit, forcing her and her family to prepare for a return to India.

The situation has been particularly distressing as Divya’s family is already burdened with a home loan of around ₹30 lakhs in India, along with ongoing medical expenses. Her husband, Sinoj, works at a DHL warehouse but often has to miss work to care for Divya. The couple also has a son studying in Year 7.

As Divya has not been able to work for over a year, her sick pay ended earlier this year, and her Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) has also expired. Returning home for continued treatment is now their only option. Due to her condition, she will require three adjoining seats on the flight to accommodate her wheelchair needs, significantly increasing travel costs.

While the Indian Embassy’s intervention could help, procedural delays have made community support the quickest and most effective solution. Local organizations, including the Stoke Malayali Association (SMA), stepped in immediately to coordinate the appeal, ensuring that funds were raised within hours.

“Once again, the kindness of UK Malayalis has shone brightly,” said one of the coordinators. “When one among us suffers, everyone steps forward to help — that is the true spirit of our community.”

Divya and her family have expressed their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed. “Words can’t express how thankful we are. This support gives us hope as we begin the next chapter of our journey back home,” the family said.

At 42 years old, Divya remains hopeful that with continued treatment in India, she will regain strength and return to a normal life.

Blessy Appeal Nears Closing with Strong Community Support

The Blessy Appeal, launched to repatriate the body of 42-year-old Blessy, who tragically passed away in Leicester on September 21, will close at midnight tonight. So far, £9,271 has been raised, with contributions including £6,945 via Kind Link, approximately £950 through Gift Aid, and £1,376 in bank transfers.

Blessy and her husband Samson had arrived in Leicester in March 2023 with hopes of building a secure future for their two daughters, aged 17 and 12. She worked for just five months in a care home before succumbing to multiple organ failure following persistent health issues. Despite Samson’s unwavering efforts, the family struggled to meet even their daily needs. Now, in the midst of heartbreak, Samson is left to support his children while honouring his wife’s unfulfilled wish of returning home for treatment. Her bereaved parents, waiting in India, yearn for the final opportunity to see their daughter and bid her farewell.

Chandri Appeal Raises Over £13,000 in a Day

The community has also extended its hand to the Chandri Appeal, initiated after Chandri passed away during angioplasty treatment, leaving her family with a heavy burden of medical expenses. In just one day, an extraordinary £13,200 was raised. From this, £6,500 has already been disbursed to meet immediate funeral and travel expenses, while the remaining £6,700 will be handed over soon.

This swift response reflects the deep compassion of the UK Malayali community, which has once again shown its determination to ease the suffering of families facing devastating loss.

Baby Abigail Fund Fully Handed Over

Amid these appeals, there is a note of hope and reassurance. The fundraising campaign for baby Abigail, who is battling infantile hemangiomas, has been brought to a successful conclusion. The £14,375 collected was handed over to her parents in four instalments: £1,000 on August 31, £2,500 each on September 19 and 24, and the final £8,375 on September 25.

For a family struggling even to meet their rent, this support has been a lifeline, enabling them to focus on their child’s treatment and well-being.

These collective efforts highlight the strength of the UK Malayali community — a strength rooted in empathy, unity, and an unwavering commitment to standing beside one another in times of deepest sorrow and need.

Autumn has arrived in the UK after a good sunny summer, signalling the anticipatory arrival of bitter weather conditions of winter in a couple of months time. Amongst the lengthy stretch of British isles from north to the south, Scotland often bears the brunt of extreme winter weather due to its geographic location. Temperatures have started dipping down from double to single digits with the cold breeze emerging from the artic starting to embrace the Scottish islands. Although the bright summer days are began to fade , a few doctors in Scotland have come out with bright rays of hope for many disadvantaged children living thousands of miles away. Changing weather conditions are never a hindrance for these good Samaritans serving in different health boards there to take up an open road bike challenge for a noble cause . While leading busy professional lives, they have decided to dedicate some considerable time and efforts for the underprivileged by way of a 50 Kms bike ride challenge through ‘National Cycle Route 7’, a scenic traffic free cycle path from/to Glasgow Green to Loch Lomond on Sunday, 28th September 2025.

The project known as ” BMCF- Scot Indian Medics bike ride appeal to support DAC, Kerala, India” has been designed to raise crucial funds for the International Institute for differently abled Children at Kasaragod, Kerala, India – a world-class centre offering care, education and empowerment to differently abled children, initiated by humanitarian turned well known magician Mr. Gopinath Muthukad. This new centre is designed to offer developmental support opportunities for around 1000 affected children.

This bike ride challenge will undertake under the guidance of Mr Srihari Vallabhajousula- a Consultant general surgeon and a cycling enthusiast . Other participants include doctor couple Dr Geetika Sharma- general practictioner & her husband Mr Likhith Alakandy- a consultant neurosurgeon, Dr Susan Romel- Consultant SRH and Dr Rajmohan Padmanabhan- Consultant Anaesthetist .Taran Rajmohan- a Glasgow University student and Dr Rajmohan Padmanabhan’s son also will join them in this event.

The Indian medics came out with this idea in the firm belief that Mr. Muthukad’s initiative would go a long way in providing much needed support and progress in the societal lives of these beautiful children.

The fundraising is conducted in conjunction with British Malayali Charity Foundation, one of the largest community charity foundations in the UK- a voluntary collective, which has already distributed over £ 1.6 million in India, UK and internationally to various deserving causes . 

Please click onto the below link if you wish to donate:

https://www.kindlink.com/fundraising/British-Malayali-Charity-Foundation/glasgowindianmedics

Whilst donating , please do give consent to claim gift aid if eligible as every £ 1.00 you donate get enhanced to another £ 0.25 by doing so.

We ensure you that every penny you donate including gift aid will go directly to the cause after the dedication of 2 to 3% KindLink platform fee. BMCF is a 100% voluntary charity organisation without incurring any expenses to the fund raising and any other costs related to this. The trustees and advisory committee members are working voluntarily round the clock finding out extra time from their daily routine life and donating monthly by direct debits.