Shri Ram Mandir Charitable Trust (SRMCT) was established in September 2011, among others, to build a community centre and a place of worship for people of Hindu religion in West Auckland, New Zealand. This also happens to be the first community initiative for a Community Centre of its type in West Auckland for the benefit of general public and community at large.

While providing a place of worship for all Hindus, it also pledges to promote and enhance community wellbeing through community service, education and other necessary services to the community to address its various needs.

The Trustees

Currently there are four Trustees who have been working in the community for a long time. They are reputable members in the community and are from different professions. They are all performing their duties in good faith and for the betterment of the community on a purely voluntary basis for the love of helping and serving others.

The details and credentials of the existing trustees are as follows:

Pravin Kumar - President

Pravin is the Managing Director of Lotus Group of Companies and has been in business for 14 years, prior to which he worked for Westpac Bank in Fiji for 10 years. He is a Chartered Accountant and a Senior Associate Member of Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Pravin is a community worker and is the past President of Waitakere Hindi School and a former executive of Waitakere Indian Association. He lives in Te Atatu South and is married with two children.

Salendra Kumar -Treasurer

Salen is a New Zealand qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA). He has been practicing as a Chartered Accountant in the public sector for over 16 years and specialises in Accounting and Taxation matters. He is also a businessman where he operates Party Planet- a small business based in West Auckland and specialising in party supplies, party hire, balloons and venue decorations.

Salen has been living in West Auckland for over 15 years and has been involved with several community and sports groups. He is passionate about helping the community and looking forward to the challenges of building a community centre for the people of West Auckland. He is married with two children.

Giyannendra Prasad

Giyannendra is a Barrister & Solicitor, has been practising law for the past 20 years. He is a former secondary school teacher and was elected a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Fiji. In the aftermath of the 2000 political crisis in Fiji and due to his personal circumstances, he ceased his Labasa practice in 2002 and moved to New Zealand.

Currently, he is the Vice- President of the NZ based charity, New Zealand Association of Fiji Teachers. He lives in Auckland is married with a daughter.

Shiu Charan

Shiu is a retired school teacher and a former trade unionist, community worker and politician from Fiji, who migrated to NZ in 2004. He is a well known and respected member of the Indian community in Auckland and one who is passionate and believes in helping the needy and the poor in the community. Shiu is currently the President of NZ Association of Fiji Teachers (A Charitable Organisation based in NZ) and he is also involved with several mandalis (religious groups) in various capacities.

He lives in Auckland and is a grandfather.