Leading One Stop retailer Priyesh Vekaria today (Aug 20) announced the donation of £6,000 towards a Mount Kilimanjaro climbing challenge being held in memory of fellow retailer and close friend Nila Patel, who passed away in February this year.
Vekaria, who runs One Stop Carlton Convenience in Greater Manchester, said a team of 21 climbers from Shree Swaminarayan Temple Oldham and beyond will take on the 5,895-metre summit from 13 to 19 September, carrying forward a challenge that Nila had planned to undertake herself with her husband, Suresh Patel.
Vekaria shared with Asian Trader, "Nila and Suresh had planned to take on Kilimanjaro themselves. Nila had chosen causes that mattered deeply to her, built relationships with organisations doing extraordinary work and committed herself to making a difference.
"Sadly, she never got the opportunity to make that climb. So now, 21 people will carry that journey forward. They will carry her memory, her values and her legacy."
Nila owned and ran One Stop Nells in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. She is survived by her husband, her 18-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter.
Vekaria said his £6,000 contribution through One Stop Carlton Convenience reflected Nila’s personal connection to the causes being supported by the challenge.
"I’m incredibly proud to announce that, through One Stop Carlton Convenience, we are supporting this remarkable challenge with a £6,000 donation," he said, adding that the donation from One Stop Carlton Convenience reflected Nila’s personal connection to the charities rather than simply supporting a fundraising challenge.
The three charities benefiting from the challenge are Reuben’s Retreat, Awaken Love for Africa and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice. Vekaria said Nila had been deeply involved with the causes and had built relationships with the organisations before her death.
Priyesh Vekaria
Vekaria added that he recently visited Reuben’s Retreat, which supports families who have lost a child or are caring for children with medical complexities, and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Oldham, which provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care.
The 21 climbers will attempt to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro as part of the ‘Walking with Nell’ challenge, with donations supporting the three charities.
Nila’s sudden death was a profound loss not only for her family and friends but also for the wider community she had served through her store.
For many local residents, One Stop Millbrook Mini Mart was more than a convenience store. Under Nila’s stewardship, it became a hub of warmth, generosity and community spirit, from offering free fruit to schoolchildren to raising money for local charities.
The ‘Walking with Nell’ challenge is expected to carry that spirit beyond the walls of her store and towards the summit of Kilimanjaro. Vekaria is calling on retailers and the wider community to support the climbers through donations, sharing the appeal and helping keep Nila’s legacy moving forward.