THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK-
The birthday celebration of Tarlochan Singh Virk Co-ordinator of Punjabi Listeners Club – voluntarily community organisation set up on the 3rd anniversary of BBC Radio Leicester’s Punjabi Programme on 9 September 1995 raised £101 for UK humanitarian charity Khalsa Aid on 19th January 2025 in Hamilton, Leicester.
British Heart Foundation Ambassador Sulakhan Singh Dard BEM whose photo appears on one of BHF booklets ‘How I Reduced My Cholesterol ‘said “ It is very important that every one should do 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days per week, eat a healthy balanced diet , reduce salt sugar fatty oily food as well as drink 8 glasses of water. Getting into the habit of going for a walk is one of the best ways to get start being healthy.”
Khalsa Aid was founded in 1999 is Slough based international non-profit humanitarian organisation providing support to victims of natural and man-made disasters around the world. Khalsa Aid has been acknowledged for providing relief during 2016 London floods, war affected Syria in 2015 and setting up refugee camps for Rohingyas on Bangladesh – Myanmar border in 2017. During the Covid Pandemic Khalsa Aid provided thousands of meals to 1o London Hospitals. Ravinder Singh CEO and founder of Khalsa Aid was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Canadian MP Tim Uppal in 2021 put forward the organisation, based on Sikh principes, in recognition of its work providing food and aid in disaster areas. During the French travel ban, KHALSA Ais gave meals to hauliers stranded.
The founder and CEO of humanitarian charity Khalsa Aid Ravinder Singh Ji described its nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize as “humbling” and that “We never thought we would be nominated. It was also very uplifting experience, more so for our volunteers because I’ve always said that WHAT WE ARE IS BECAUSE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS. It’s a great acknowledgement of their dedication and compassion for over 21 years.”
Punjabi Listeners club has been promoting Punjabi Language and Sikh religion through Children Writing Competitions, Turban Tying Competition, Health Events, Trips to Loros and National Sikh Museum etc and have raised thousands of pounds for UK Charities such as Children in Need, Wishes4Kids, Cancer, BHF, LOROS, Dementia etc. In 2009 club presented 101 Sikh Prayer Booklets to University of Leicester Hospitals on the founder of Sikh faith Guru Nanak Gurpurb at Guru Teg Bahadur Gurdwara on East Park Road, Leicester which has a footfall of 20, 000 per week.
Khalsa Aid has a FOCUS PUNJAB which is their long-term development programme in India where various projects are currently running to help the people of Punjab. This includes providing free education for thousands of children, supporting tens of thousands of Punjabis’ annually that require urgent medical treatment, and ensuring hundreds of local villagers are supported with livelihood generation and house rebuilding. Khalsa Aid will also ensure the youth have the necessary support to aid them in their employment endeavours.
Local Khalsa Aid volunteer Balinder Singh Samra presented Khalsa Aid Mugs to those present. Punjabi Listeners Club gave Sikh Goody Bags containing Chocolate/ Indian Sweets, Sikh Code of Conduct booklet and Sort Your Life Out Diary,
Mr Virk thanked those who gave gifts at home, attended for making his day a very special one and thanked those who contributed for a worth wise cause and pointed out that as part of the club’s 30th anniversary this year, a trip to Houses of Parliament as well as National Punjabi Language Seminar and Sikh Religion Quiz is being organised.
