LONDON, June, 2003:

In recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema, versatile actor Saeed Jaffrey appointed the Experience Corps' Ambassador for Asian Community in the UK .

London-based Jaffrey has acted in a number of well known films including Gandhi , My Beautiful Launderette and Henna . He started his career as an announcer in All India Radio, New Delhi , before starting a radio programme for New York Times in the USA . He is known for his interview with India 's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Jaffrey was conferred with the honour at the launch of a new website - www.historytalking.com - at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, where the actor spoke about his association with Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor and other leading lights in the Indian film industry.

As the Community Ambassador for The Experience Corps, the veteran actor will appeal to the people from the Asian community to offer their skills, experience and some of their time to help in their local communities by becoming a member of the Experience Corps.

Vijay Rana, local adviser for the Corps and founder of the website said "Volunteering is a key component of Asian faiths and culture. The Experience Corps is aiming to use the valuable skills that Asian people over 50 have to offer their local organisations. Having a Community Ambassador of the stature of Saeed Jaffrey is an honour for the Corps and we know that with his support we will be able to bring the work of the organisation and its members to a wider audience."

The Corps is a not-for-profit company funded by a grant from the Home Office.

Working in collaboration with the voluntary sector, in neighbourhood partnerships and organisations in the statutory and private sectors, the Corps aims to raise the profile of community participation. It has over 400,000 volunteering opportunities to suit all kinds of skills and experience, Rana said.