Almost £100k raised for good causes in memory of Wolverhampton man Jet Singh Chatha

The Jet Singh Trust, or JST, was set up in October 2016 in memory of Jet Singh Chatha who died in May 2016, aged just 32.

The trust was the brainchild of Jet’s brother Davinder Singh Chatha who wanted to work with family, friends and members of the community to raise money for a number of charitable causes.

So far, it has donated £11,000 to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, £3,000 to the Sikh Helpline, £1,000 to WINGS and £5,500 to terminally ill children with cancer.

The trust has also provided physiotherapy sessions for children with cerebral palsy – at a cost of £2,000 – as well as raised £8,000 for Water Aid and £5,000 for the orphanage for abandoned girls in India.

Speaking of what inspired him to set up the trust, Mr Singh Chatha, who runs a physiotherapist practice in Wombourne, said: “Jet was a Wolverhampton-born wrestler and fitness enthusiast. He attended Deansfield High School and at the age of just 17 his wrestling talent led to him representing Team GB at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

“His accomplishments also included being part of the British squad that went to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Jet was highly regarded not only as an athlete, but as a caring man with a sunny personality whose passion was to help others to improve their health and this is what has inspired us to carry forth his legacy.”

The latest fundraiser saw dozens of cars descend on Halfpenny Green golf club on Saturday to race as part of a car rally.

The finishing line was kept secret from drivers until the day of the race, and cars competed for the prestigious title of Jet Bhangra’s car rally winner.

Cars that were entered had to be worth more than £500 and be roadworthy. Teams of two competed in each car and no sat navs were allowed to help teams navigate their routes.

The money raised will now go to Papyrus, the UK charity that works to prevent young suicide as well as to other initiatives supported by the Trust.

As part of the event, Harpz Kaur from BBC Asian Network hosted the charity night after the car rally. The evening event saw performances from Bhangra dancers, a comedian, live performance from Benny Dhaliwal and an auction.

Now, the trust is looking to develop a Mixed Martial Arts school in Wolverhampton, which will provide facilities for budding MMA stars. The trust is in the process of working with local businesses to provide sponsorship for young people to access a comprehensive training scheme at the MMA club and gain a range of transferable skills.