Sikh Union Coventry has been honoured with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services. This award is the highest honour given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities and is equivalent in status to an MBE. The Award was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2nd June; the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
Palvinder Singh Chana (Chairman) and Harbans Singh Gumman (Hon.Secretary) attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on 19th May 2016 where they met the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. The highlight was when Prince Charles stopped and had a good conversation with both of them.
Sikh Union Coventry, a registered charity, works in the community by managing projects that support vulnerable children and adults through team sports and health improvement and works with many Local, National and International charities to raise much needed funds for various projects. Recent beneficiaries have been Cancer and the Children’s Appeal funds at the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, the Lord Mayors charity for the restoration of a local church. Overseas projects include Eye Camps and prosthetic limbs in north India and water borehole projects in Kenya. More recently it has been instrumental in rescuing the Daimler Green Community Centre from closure, thereby securing a place of recreation and activity for the local community.
Sikh Union will receive the award later this summer from Mr. Simon Topman, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Midlands, who said
“Sikh Union Coventry are an outstanding organisation and an example to us all of what can be achieved through volunteering. Not only do they offer massive and vital support overseas, providing eye treatment which we take for granted but which are truly life enhancing in India and Africa, but equally making a massive contribution to Coventry. Their sports day which attracts over ten thousand visitors and the work they are doing in their still relatively new community centre (Daimler Green) is bringing back the community spirit to an area where many thought it was lost. As an example of generosity, hard work, determination and vision, they are one of the most deserving of this Award that I have ever come across. I shall watch with interest their future development without any doubt that it will be as inspiring as their past.”
Palvinder Singh Chana (Chairman) said:
“We are honoured and delighted to have been recognised for the voluntary work which our organisation has been carrying out for over thirty years. I express my whole hearted appreciation and gratitude to all members of Sikh Union for their tireless commitment in organising various events throughout the year and raising much needed funds.
My sincere thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers and organisations for their support in all aspects of our work; and I urge members of our local community to join us in making further advancements in our charitable work locally and overseas.”
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Sir Martyn Lewis said:
“I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups. The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the very best of democracy in action.”
