Dr Mukesh Chugh recently received the Good Relations Volunteer of the Year Award – Highly Commended, as part of the Good Relations Awards 2023.
Mukesh has been an inspiration to the local community, as evidenced in recent accomplishments such as being a finalist in Supervalu Superstar Award for going the extra mile in community work, and as Key Worker of the Year 2021 awarded by Derry Journal.
Celebrating Community Diversity
Mukesh has been involved in promoting the local Indian community and peacebuilding in the Northwest. As part of a video produced through Derry City & Strabane Council’s Good Relation Fund, you can find out about the integration of Indian people with local communities, as well as the journey of a child from Hindu faith who went to from a Protestant Primary School to a Catholic Grammar School, and also attends a Sikh faith temple. This is a great example of inclusion and Good Relations in Northern Ireland.
Mukesh said, “This short film highlights the initial struggle of first-generation migrants from India, who moved from remote villages in Punjab to this place with no English and no money but just dreams of a better life, which they ultimately achieved for themselves and for their next generations.
“They have contributed massively to the local economy, as most of them are now very successful businesses in Northern Ireland.”