James met a number of supporters of Udayan at Friends Provident in Dorking yesterday evening and was interviewed on the stage by author / biographer Kathryn Spink, the UK trustee of his charity.

The evening opened with some delightful Indian dancing by Masti, followed by a slide presentation of Udayan created by some of the St Joan of Arc Sixth Formers who are visiting the home in Calcutta next year. James then spoke eloquently and from the heart, and with gentle encouragement from Kathryn, gave a fascinating account of how Udayan came into being, and how it has developed over the past thirty years. Everyone listened intently, and a number of interesting questions were asked.

The evening ended with the presentation of a cheque for £15,000 raised by the Friends of Udayan. James said that this was a significant contribution towards the building of his new medical unit, and he was very obviously deeply moved. He returns, with his wife Lallita, to India in two weeks.