By Mariam Khan | MyLondon |
‘I’m not even exaggerating when I say how many people we feed daily, twice a day has doubled. We feed around 10,000 people every day. That’s Sikh people in our community, homeless, families – anyone can come here and know that they can get food twice a day even 24/7,’ says Majeet Panasar, 66, who works at the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall.
Manjeet who works for the Gurdwara, says she’s been coming here since she was a child. The space was a part of her everyday life. She’s spent her entire life growing up in Southall, studying and working in the area.
It’s vast but not the biggest Gurdwara in the area and sits minutes away from the Southall station. When MyLondon visits, it’s busy and buzzing, we take off our shoes and hand them over and are given a token to pick them up later, wash our hands, and cover our heads before entering.
Manjeet says: “The Gurdwara offers a prayer space but it’s also a community space for many with the Gurdwara offering support for people in domestic violence situations, kickboxing, and music school for young people and much more. It’s not just food, that’s just standard in every Gurdwara, we do a lot to help the community.”
In the main hall, there is recitation going on from the Guru Granth Sahib and it’s filled with people who offer their prayers and listen to what is being recited. Then in the hall further down there is a queue for food, hot meals served and prepped by volunteers. The women in the kitchen are mostly elderly, chatting and chopping vegetables as men serve those waiting in the queue.
Manjeet says: “We take food hygiene and health and safety seriously. We have security because of the sheer amount of people who come here daily. Everyone helping is a volunteer, mostly elderly women who can chat and socialise as they provide “seva” [service] to their community. The women feel like they are playing their role in the community.”
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(Asia Samachar, 16 Dec 2022)
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