Indian, Pakistani and Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Bangladeshi Businesses in South London Communities in South London • The companies are spread throughout South London with no focus on one Population particular borough with the exception of the retail and food sector in Tooting, Wandsworth. • The Indian community form the single • As well as being heavily involved in the largest Asian community in London at retail and wholesale sectors, Indian 6% of London’s population which is the companies have a strong presence in largest Indian community in Europe. the IT and financial services sectors, • South Asians (Indian, Pakistani and and Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are Bangladeshi) account for 3% of the heavily involved in the restaurant (see South London population and own 5% Food section) and manufacturing of all businesses there. business in London. • There are approximately 60,000 Indians, 24,000 Pakistani and 9,000 Below are a sample of South Asian Bangladeshi in South London, according companies in South London: to the Office for National Statistics. • The South Asian community in South Software and IT services London is spread relatively evenly • Infosys Technologies Limited (Croydon) across the boroughs, although there is a • Contech Software Limited (Bromley) higher concentration within the • Choice Solutions UK Limited (Kingston) boroughs of Croydon, Merton and • ENG Software Private Ltd Wandsworth. (Southwark/Lambeth) • Goldshield (Croydon) • LG Soft (Croydon) Travelling to London • Melstar Information Technologies Ltd (Southwark/Lambeth) • SQL Star International Limited Flights between India and London (Kingston/Richmond) Heathrow (LHR): • Synergy Log-In Systems Ltd (Croydon) • LHR – Delhi: 3 or 4 a day (some are not • Technology Promotion Ltd direct flights). (Southwark/Lambeth) • LHR – Mumbai: at least 1 a day. • vMoksha Technologies (Kingston) • LHR – Ahmedabad: 1 a week. • Games Vision Ltd (Wimbledon) • LHR – Chennai: 2 a week. Clothes/Jewellery Flights between Bangladesh and • There are a wide choice of Sari and London Heathrow (LHR): Indian clothing emporiums and shops • LHR – Dhaka: at least 1 a day. selling jewellery in Tooting such as Mujlis, Rahaat, Nisar and Khushboo. Flights between Pakistan and London • Orissa Fashion (Sutton) Heathrow (LHR): • LHR – Islamabad: 6 a week Other: • LHR – Lahore: 3 a week • Oberoi Group - Hotels (Wandsworth) • A M I Ayurvedic and Unani Health (Lambeth) SouthAsianCommunitiesSLonfinal181103ah 1 • Yoga Rajah & Co - solicitors (Tooting) • Ruposhi Bangla Ltd – bookshop English for Speakers of Other (Tooting) Languages (ESOL/EFL) courses: • Choudhury's Bengali Translation • Please refer to Nicholas Heathorn or (Wandsworth) Tracie Rice at South London Business who have compiled a list of Education establishments that run these courses according to South London boroughs. • There are no specific full time South Community events and leisure Asian schools in London although some schools are affiliated to the major faiths such as Sikh, and Muslim. Art, theatre and culture: • However some boroughs such as • Tara Arts Merton, run weekend schools for the Asian Theatre in Britain - over the past local Asian community. For example: 25 years they have developed a unique there is a mother- tongue Tamil Sunday concept of "Binglish Theatre" - theatre school for children aged 5 – 14 years, infused with the languages, colour, and also a West Indian School is run on music and sensibilities of migrant Asians Sundays providing general in Britain. supplementary classes. Both schools are 356 Garratt Lane, London SW18 4ES run from the Ethnic Minority centre at Tel: 020 8333 4457 The Vestry Hall 336 London Road, Fax: 020 8870 9540 Mitcham CR4 3UD, Tel: 020 8648 0084. Email: [email protected] Croydon borough runs similar schools at Web: www.tara-arts.com the weekends too. • SACA Sikh Arts and Cultural Association • The main schools and colleges for the Organisation which sponsors and runs Asian community in Tooting are community activities. These include the Graveney Secondary School, Burntwood Sikh martial art Gatka, history, and Girl’s School and Salesian College and Sikhism workshops for youngsters. They Southfields community college. work in conjunction with other Sikh organisations in London and throughout Other educational facilities available: the UK. • The Tooting Library has an incorporated Email: [email protected] Asian Community Library, which has Web: www.saca.co.uk books and newspapers in English and 8 • The Aubokash Club Asian languages. A multicultural Host Bengali and North Indian classical children’s section at the nearby music events. Battersea Library features a wide Contact: Ferdaus Bhuiyan selection of picture books and fiction in Merton various languages. Tel: 020 8286 1162 • Nearly 100 places in London offer • South London Tamil Welfare Group mother-tongue classes for children in Organises a regular programme of Tamil Bengali. For full details, visit cultural events. www.resourceunit.com. Contact: Mr V Kulasingham • Courses for adults in a range of South 36 High Street, Colliers Wood SW19 2AB Asian languages are available at Tel: 020 8542 3285 SOAS Language Centre Email: The Courses Secretary [email protected]. School of Oriental and African Studies co.uk London • Bengali Association of Merton Tel: 020 7898 4888 A community support group providing Web: www.soas.ac.uk/languagecentre information on a wide range of social & SouthAsianCommunitiesSLonfinal181103ah 2 welfare issues. The group also provides Gatton Road, London SW17 0SQ recreational, educational & religious Tel: 020 8767 7477 activities. • Baitul Futuh – the largest Mosque in Mr M A Karim MBE Western Europe 42 Quicks Road, Wimbledon SW19 1EY 181 London Road Tel: 020 8540 7990 (evenings only) Morden, Surrey SM4 5HF • Pakistan Cultural Association • Brixton Mosque and Islamic Cultural Merton Centre Tel: 020 8544 9787 1 Gresham Road, Brixton, London • Goan Music Society Tel: 020 7326 4098 Organises Goan music events and • Croydon Mosque performances 525 London Road, Croydon CR7 6AR Contact: Joao Paulo Cota Tel: 020 8684 8200 186 Ashbourne Road, Mitcham, Surrey • Idara-E-Jafferiya (former Parochial Hall CR4 2DQ Grade II listed Building) Tel: 020 8646 6390 18 Church Lane SW17 9PP Email: [email protected] Tel: 020 8672 5373 • Ephemeral Arts • Tooting Islamic Centre Revive and recognise some of the 127-145 Upper Tooting Road SW17 7TJ dormant arts in the Asian community Tel: 020 8767 2344 Festival of Ephemeral Arts which has • Wimbledon Mosque been created by Asian Arts Access in 260-270 Durnsford Road, London SW19 conjunction with London Boroughs of 8DS Kingston, Croydon, Merton and Bexley Tel: 020 8946 3350 with additional funding by London Boroughs Grants. Hindu: Asian Arts Access, • Hindu Society Tel: 01753 571050 673 Garret Lane, Tooting Web: www.ephemeralarts.com London SW17 0NP • London Shree Muththumari Amman Events Temple • The Asian Community Centre on Trinity 2nd Floor 180-186, Upper Tooting Road, Road, Tooting provides help and London SW17 7EJ translator’s for the Asian community, as Tel: 020 8767 9881 well as a location for Asian parties and • Muththumari Amman Temple events. 180-186 Upper Tooting Road Tooting, London SW17 7EJ Cinemas showing Indian movies: • Radha Krishna Temple • Croydon Safari, London Rd CR9 2TR 33 Balham High Road, London SW12 Tel: 020 8688 3422 9AL • Shree Ghanapathy Temple Religion The temple has been serving the religious and cultural needs of the Hindu Community within its borough for the South Asians encompass a wide range of past 18 years. The site also houses a Sai religious backgrounds including Christians, Mandir - a Temple dedicated to Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, but the vast Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba majority are either Muslim or Hindu. Below 123-133 Effra Road, Wimbledon, are a sample of places of worship in South London SW19 8PU London. Tel: 020 8542 7482 Web: Muslim: www.luxmi.com/ghanapathy/index.html • Al Muzzammil Mosque SouthAsianCommunitiesSLonfinal181103ah 3 • Shree Shree Radha Krishna Cultural Embassy and other business Centre organisations The temple is devoted to the Krishna consciousness movement and is designed to give people a taste of Embassies: transcendental happiness. • High commission of India 42 Enmore Road, South Norwood, India House, Aldwych, London WC2B London SE25 5GN 4NA Tel: 020 8656 4296 Tel: 020 7836 8484 Web: www.iskcon.org.uk Web: www.hcilondon.net • Bangladesh High Commission, Sikkhs: 28 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5JA • Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Tel: 020 7584 0081 57 Hunter Road, Thornton Heath, Fax: 020 7581 7477 Croydon, Surrey Email: • Khalsa Centre [email protected] 95 Upper Tooting Road, London SW17 Web: 7TW www.bangladeshhighcommission.org.uk • Sikh Association (Southfields) • High Commission for Pakistan 13 Kings Cliffe Gardens, London SW19 34-36 Lowndes Sq, London SW1X 9JN Tel: 020 874 3518 Tel: 020 7664 9200 • Siri Guru Singh Sabha Email: [email protected] 74 Avam Road London SW17 Web: www.pakmission-uk.gov.pk • Southfields Sikh Association 1 Southbrook Road, London SW16 Business Associations: • South London Sikh Gurudwara • The Indus Entrepreneurs-UK 142 Merton Road, London SW18 5SP TiE-UK Tel: 020 8870 7594 3rd Floor, 80 Cannon Street, London, • BOSS (British Organisation of Sikh EC4N 6EJ Societies) Tel: 020 7280 0095 Body made up of Sikh students, ex- Fax: 020 7280 0096 students and concerned individuals Web: www.tie-uk.org involved in the administration and • Asian Business Association