Simrin Choudhrie – The Secret Millionaire and Her Selfless Deed of kindness

A dedicated philanthropist and a talented interior designer, Simrin Choudhrie has always worked to uplift the challenged sections of society and be the change infuser she wished to see in the world. Over the years she has continually added to the betterment of society, and now is a trustee of various charity organizations including Anita Choudhrie’s ‘Path to Success’ and Mane Chance Sanctuary, a Guildford organization which is a home for abandoned and abused horses.

Simrin always believed in the idea of spending quality time amongst those who are in need, to understand their problems and address them efficiently. This was one of the reasons that led her to feature on the hit reality TV show “Secret Millionaire” where wealthy people were made to stay incognito at poverty stricken areas to understand their plight. Simrin appeared as an impoverished, pregnant woman at St. Wilfrid’s Centre for vulnerable and socially excluded. She was moved by the people she stayed with and ended up signing the biggest amount of charity ever received on the show. 

After knowing who she really is, everybody at the centre including director Kevin Bradley was surprised. He stated: “What she has done for St Wilfrid’s is absolutely mind-blowing.

“When she revealed who she was it just felt surreal - things like that don’t happen in real life, or so you think.”

She got so attached and drawn towards the people that it pushed her to sign the biggest donation cheque ever received on the show.

 “The money she has pledged will make a huge difference to the lives of vulnerable people in Sheffield.”

According to Kevin, the bond now formed between Simrin and others extends more than charity; it’s a relationship for life.

“She is such a lovely girl,” Kevin said. “You would never know where she came from - there was nothing pretentious about her.

“At different points I did start to think there was something a little mysterious about her,” Kevin said. “But I could never really get to the bottom of it.

“When the time came for her to reveal herself to me I’d convinced myself I was being silly - so I was certainly shocked when she told me she was millionaire!

“She was really upset - crying that she felt like she had been deceitful towards me - and she said she felt bad because she had come to see me as a kind of father figure.

“Everybody was crying when she came out with the news, we just couldn’t believe it. It was a very emotional day.”

Simrin has equal love and regard for Wilfrid, which became evident when she named her son Kabir Bhanu Wilfrid Choudhrie.

“That’s how much she loves the place - she wanted to name her son after us!” Kevin said.

Mane Chance Sanctuary: A commendable cause

Every film buff is familiar with Jenny Seagrove. Her charming personality has got her a lot of dedicated fans. But her recent charitable with Mane Chance Sanctuary will turn even none film-buffs into fans.

''Mane Chance came about in desperate circumstances in 2011 when a friend rang to say she couldn’t afford to feed her large collection of animals, many of which she had rescued.’’

''It was one of those life-changing moments when you find a real purpose. Setting up a charity – a massive adventure.” She recalls.

''I called a friend who found Monkshatch Garden Farm, where the owner let us rent the 47 acres we needed. A year later, we were offered it for sale.’’ She revealed the hurdles she had to come across to set up this farm.

''I had to sell my flat in London and ask Simrin, who has been amazing, to chip in.’’ Philanthropist Simrin Choudhrie has always been available to help with the charity’s efforts.

But what makes Mane Chance Sanctuary so special is the way James French, the pioneer of mindfulness technique, treats the horses, along with his partner Shelley Slingo, who’s also a part of the management.

The technique requires the trainer to have a deep connection with the horses.

''When all this began, I knew the horses would need therapy,” she says. “I asked James French, who I had known through his work as a reiki master for 20 years, and who is a renowned animal communicator, to help out.’’

''It’s about getting the limbic system – the part of the brain associated with emotions and memories – of horse and human - in sync,’’ says Seagrove.

There is a reason horses are called the noble animals. All the healing they undergo is being reciprocated at the sanctuary. They are being labelled as the “healing herd.”

Students under the Duke of Edinburgh programme, as well as kids from the hospice at Christopher’s in Guildford have undergone equine healing and noticed positive results.

''We had groups of children and volunteers here, some of whom had their own issues, and a rapport and trust was building between some of the horses with the humans who seemed to need them most.’’

Seagrove is dedicated to help as many people as possible and willing to establish horses are healers.

Read more about Simrin Choudhrie here