Support the Construction of Shree Ram Mandir

The Hindu temple (mandir) SHREE RAM MANDIR / SHREE JALARAM BHAJAN MANDAL (SRM / SJBM) was founded in 1968 and serves the requirements of the local community, both young and elderly, in Tameside and the surrounding catchment area. The existing building, a corner terrace house, which has been repurposed into a community hall / temple in a neighbourhood primarily composed of terraced homes, is situated at the intersection of Portland Street North and Kenyon Street in Ashton-Under-Lyne. This immediately creates several problems such as noise, parking issues for the immediate neighbours.

The Trustees had been searching for a suitable empty building to renovate for a while, but they were unable to find one in a central location in Ashton under Lyne due to zoning and planning restrictions. The acquisition of the Dale Grove land at Wilshaw Lane, Ashton-under-Lyne, from TMBC was eventually completed by SRM / SJBM in 2015.

The majority of 2016 was occupied with planning applications, tree survey and arboriculture assessment, ecological surveys, and site clearance. With the start of foundation work in Q1 2017 and the completion of structural steel framework erection in late Q4 2017.

Due to a lack of funding, community fundraising efforts were maintained in order to buy the brickwork needed to complete the building shell. We were able to close the facility in Q4 2019 once the roof was completed, with the funding available at the time.

COVID-19 came to light in late 2019 and was deemed a worldwide health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March 2020. The construction project came to a complete standstill, and for two years, there was no advancement in fund raising. The pandemic affected everyone, causing the loss of loved ones who were either close to us or from the community.

We decided at the beginning of 2023, keeping in mind what our predecessors had started in 2015, that it was imperative to start the fund-raising efforts with the aim of finishing the ground floor of the building by Q2 2024. This will allow for the beginning of community activities for the elderly and housebound, young families, etc., such as coffee mornings, lunch afternoons once a week, community wellness & healthcare advice and satsangs for the Hindu community.

Through the GoFundMe community, we are reaching out to both the local community and a wider audience in an effort to raise funds nears to £400,000.00 in order to complete and safely occupy the ground floor of the property. This will make it possible to finish the interior fitout projects in the kitchen, entrance façade doors, walls, ceilings, second fix electrical works, doors, and male and female restrooms and the main community hall.

We appreciate your time to read the above, and everyone who will use the building would be very grateful for any donation, no matter how big or small.

We want to provide frequent updates as funding is received and the project moves forward.

On behalf of SRM / SJBM's trustees.

Again, thank you, and Jai Jalaram!