Go Dharmic Volunteer Martin Dover Wins Coronation Champion Award 2023

We are thrilled to share that Martin Dover, Go Dharmic Scotland lead and trustee, has received the Coronation Champion Award 2023 from the Royal Voluntary Service. This recognition is a testament to his continuous charitable service to the community through Go Dharmic.

Martin’s volunteering journey began at the age of sixteen by joining GD and coordinating the distribution of food to hospitals in the Glasgow area during the COVID pandemic. He worked with GD volunteers, persuading organisations to donate food to people in need, supporting frontline workers in a campaign called “Caring for Carers.” This effort expanded into Go Dharmic’s food poverty alleviation work in Scotland. 

Martin worked closely with Go Dharmic founder Hanuman Dass in understanding the philosophy of dharma and developing campaigns which have made a tremendous difference to people in need in Scotland.

His exceptional dedication has been reflected in his ability to advertise for volunteers, mobilise them to distribute food parcels, and establish a GD weekly food distribution in George Square for persons struggling with homelessness. Martin’s contributions have also extended to distributing food parcels to schools in Govan and Thornliebank, which has helped families who may have had to choose between heating and eating.

His work has gone beyond Glasgow, as he has also helped set up a food distribution in Edinburgh and is currently contributing to the start of a new one in Dundee. Even while studying medicine at St. Andrews University, he has been proactive in ensuring that volunteers are kept abreast of all developments. At the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Martin visited Poland to help conduct food distributions for Ukrainian refugees.

Martin Dover and other GD Volunteers at Kyiv, Ukraine

“With every meal we give out we try to put a smile on people‘s faces. Through Go Dharmic, we want to spread that positivity and help as many people as we can. We’ve distributed over 750,000 meals to vulnerable people in Scotland.” — Martin Dover 

Martin has shown boundless dedication, kindness, and service, and is an inspiration to us all. His enthusiasm echoes the heart of Go Dharmic – to love all, feed all, serve all! In December 2022 Martin visited India to learn more about Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence which is a key principle in Go Dharmic’s work. He also cycled with Go Dharmic as part of the Salt Ride – a celebration of Gandhi’s independence march.

Hanuman Dass and Martin Dover at Dandi Ashram, Gujarat during Salt Ride 2022.

“Martin’s recognition by His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort is a great example of what young people can do in the world. I hope that Martin will become an inspiration for more young people to think about how they can work to develop a more peaceful, loving and interconnected world.” – Hanuman Dass, Go Dharmic Founder and Director

GD Glasgow Food Distribution

From everyone at Go Dharmic, many congratulations to Martin on this incredible achievement. His hard work is an inspiration to us all, and we are proud to have him as a member of the Go Dharmic family.