Somerset landlord flies to Nepal to join Khalsa Aid relief work

Ravi, who founded the Sikh humanitarian charity Khalsa Aid in 1999, became a hero in Somerset during the flood crisis of 2013-14 when he spent two months rescuing villagers and salvaging belongings in the worst affected areas.

At that time Ravi struck up a friendship with Jim Winkworth, the landlord of the King Alfred pub in Burrowbridge, which was turned into a community refuge centre. Now Jim is leaving his bar behind to join the Khalsa Aid team of Sikh volunteer aid workers in Kathmandu.

“I’ve been in touch with Ravi ever since he got there, and he asked me to come,” said Mr Winkworth. “He said it’s a bad situation, and it must be horrific, because he’s seen a lot of terrible situations in his time, so I’m preparing for the worst.”

“I’m quite good at delegating and organising people and Ravi said he asked me because lots of people are running around with no real strategy. He also knows I’m a pretty useful digger driver and apparently they are crying out for people who can work machinery. I’ll help any way I can,” he added.