A PENSIONER who juggles volunteering with being a full-time carer has been put up for a Harrow’s Heroes award.

Chandulal Shah, of Bethecar Road, Harrow, has been volunteering across London and the globe for more than 60 years raising public awareness of mental health illnesses.

The 75-year-old works with charities including Time to Change and Mind in Harrow, aiming to highlight the stigma and discrimination in South Asian and other communities while promoting the services available to those who suffer from mental health conditions.

Putting in several hours of volunteering each week, Mr Shah and his wife are also the full-time carers for his son, who after graduating from the London School of Economics 26 years ago developed severe OCD that has left him virtually house bound.

Mr Shah said: “My wife and I go over every morning and evening to make him breakfast or dinner because he won’t touch anything with his OCD.

“It got worse and worse, but with God’s blessing it is now getting better over the last couple of months.

“Before he would never leave the house but recently he went out and came home all on his own which was a big step. It has been very frustrating, especially at the beginning.

“There is so much stigma in some Asian communities about mental illnesses, they call them ‘mad’, and I just try and spread the understanding that it is an illness.”

On top of all this, he is actively involved with more than 13 organisations including Central and Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust, the Carer Council and the CNWL Harrow BAME committee.

He is also on the stakeholders group with CNWL, Lay Partner on Embedding Partnership Integrated Care and My Mind, creating video promotions to share patients’ stories.

He said: “Volunteering is very important – I have been doing it for about 65 years now- and we should get as many people involved in the community as possible.

“I never look at colour or creed, and believe you should never think bad things about anyone.”

The nomination form read: “Chandulal is a dedicated, caring, responsible and a very passionate individual who is a great ambassador for the community and the families where he portrays exceptional leadership, by being a good mentor and role model to all.

“Despite caring for his son who has a chronic mental illness, he always goes that extra mile in making the local community better and a happier place to live in.

“Chandulal, with his many years of experience, acts as an efficient leader, chairing and vice chairing at various group events, talking openly about his experience and his personal carer story.

“He can speak many Asian languages which helps him to get the message across in a meaningful way and acts as an interpreter for those people whose English is very limited.”

His anonymous nominee has put the keen volunteer forward for the Bringing People Together award, one of seven awards up for grabs as part of this year’s Harrow’s Heroes competition.

Sponsored by the Harrow Times, the awards ceremony being held on November 3 at Harrow Lesiure Centre in Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, will honour hundreds of volunteers across the borough for their dedication and hard work in the community.

Speaking about his nomination, Mr Shah said: “I’m very pleased, not because I have been recognised but because these awards celebrate all the volunteers.

“This is the third time I have been nominated so it would be nice to win a prize this year.”

Nominations have closed and judges will now review each person or team put forward for an award before the winners are announced on the night, with the Harrow Times reporting live from the event.