Sikhs in Nottingham volunteer twice a week at the Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara to prepare and distribute free vegetarian meals to the homeless and those in need. Approximately 100 meals are prepared in the Gurdwara's kitchen and taken to Albert Street in the city center where 60 homeless individuals await to be served. The volunteers greet each person by name and provide them a warm meal along with drinks and snacks. While most are appreciative, one intoxicated man complains about receiving pasta again. The volunteers remain composed and provide alternatives. Their efforts help feed many homeless individuals who would otherwise go hungry.

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Sikhs on the Streets
One in ten people experience homelessness at some point in their life and one in 50 have
experienced it in the last 5 years. With an estimated 185,000 affected and cuts to housing benefits,
the Sikh community- 400,000 of the UK population - have taken to the streets to feed the forgotten
homeless. How have the homeless reacted? Why do so many Sikhs help? What is Guru Nanak’s
Mission? And what difference does it make?
THE CITY OF Nottingham, Norton Street, is home to the Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara (Sikh temple).
Transformed from an old textile building four years ago, this Sikh temple is where 20 volunteers now
gather twice a week to prepare food for the needy and homeless as part of Guru Nanak’s Mission.
Set in an industrial estate, the Gurdwara is surrounded by warehouses, car garages, derelict factories
and an abandoned African-Caribbean pub, all its windows boarded. The rear of the cocoa-brown
building looks more like a prison than a place of religion; thick black bars cover the double glazed
windows. But at the front, a radiant orange flag of the Khanda (Sikh emblem) attached to a 20ft pole
flies proudly and the words Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji stand out in huge yellow writing on the
right of the building. In the distance, almost shadowing over the temple are the soaring Norton flats.
At around 5pm, volunteers aged eight to 80 climb four steps and enter through arched yellow doors
as the builders across the Gurdwara finish their days work. The women wear traditional Indian
clothing, the men dressed more casually, some still in work clothes. They wash their hands and cover
their heads before entering the kitchen area on the ground floor.
All food cooked is vegetarian and comes from donations by people in Nottingham and across Britain.
Donations come in vast amounts and usually include foods with a long shelf life such as pasta,
custard, tinned tomatoes, flour, Heinz baked beans, PG tips, rice, soya mince, Indian sweets, fruit
and much more. Once all the items have been collected, they are stored in a 10ft stock room
adjacent to the kitchen. The generosity of others has meant not a single week has gone by where the
project has had a shortage of food- there is plenty to go around.
Each volunteer has a significant role to ensure large proportions of food are ready to leave the
Gurdwara at 7pm sharpish. This all happens in the 30ft long kitchen which has quite a narrow width.
Two enormous 20ft extractor fans positioned above the gas cookers dominate the room and absorb
the clouds of steam. With no windows the room can become extremely humid, unbearable at times
even when the temperature outside is sub-zero. It feels like walking through the Amazon. You can
see sweat glistening on the foreheads of the volunteers.
What’s on the menu? This is displayed on a hazel coloured notice board in the kitchen which is
examined before cooking. The Mission has been running for a considerable time, so all the
volunteers apart from the children know how to cook the 20 or 30 different dishes. Once the cheese
is grated, onions are chopped and all the other ingredients are prepared, it’s time to turn the gas
cookers to maximum and start cooking. Most of the food is being heated in sizeable steel pans and is
stirred with a 5ft metal or wooden spoon. During this time, the volunteers enjoy a chat between
themselves and they are always in good spirit. The atmosphere is lively.
Children volunteers lay out approximately 100 plastic containers on the tables situated at the back
of the kitchen. One container at a time they remove the lids and stack them – ready for the food to

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be deposited quickly and effectively. As the food reaches boiling point, it is tried and tested. When
given the thumbs up, pasta and rice are put in to the same containers and the rice pudding and
vegetable curry in separate ones. The lids are firmly tightened and the containers are carried
outside. To finish off, the volunteers clean the pans and other dishes with a water hose and wipe
down the surfaces. After the energy efficient lights are switched off; they make their way to the car
park at the front of the Gurdwara. Each time they depart, the caretaker arrives on his Saracen
bicycle to double lock the front door.
The food is packed away in to seven cars, ranging from high spec BMW’s to Vauxhall Astra’s and is
taken to Albert Street, located two and a half miles away in Nottingham’s City Centre. In the day
Albert Street is like any other normal city street, full of customers looking for new phone contracts,
fashionable garments and the latest fragrance of Jimmy Choo. But on a Monday and Thursday
evening it is a chance for the homeless to get a hot portion of food which others take for granted.
At 5.30pm, shop owners lock their doors and pull the shutters down - ending another day of trading.
For the next hour and a half the street is almost dormant. The decibels low enough for raindrops on
rooftops to be heard. The sound of a woman’s heels echoes through the street. A few business men
returning from work pass through with one hand clutching on to their suitcase and the other on a
cigarette. Exhaling smoke in to the air. Teens and those in their 20’s walk alone via the street to
meet friends at the right Lion or Brian Clough statue for a night of cocktails and beverages.
Then, at 7pm, the street comes to life. Men, women and teenagers, bundled in ragtag wear of
varying thicknesses, gather in a queue outside Marks & Spencer all looking cheery, despite their
current situation. Some are shivering, whilst others are marginally warmer with hats and gloves on.
There is an arctic bite to the air that numbs fingers and toes within minutes. A total of 60 people
wait behind one another to be served up freshly cooked food.
As soon as the Guru Nanak’s Mission volunteers arrive, they carry food and equipment 100 yards or
so away from their cars to the entrance of Marks & Spencer. Six volunteers hurriedly carry three
large army green rucksacks containing food to the destination point. The others set up stall; a 6ft by
4ft plastic table is laid out to hold the coffee machine from John Lewis, plastic cups, water bottles
and other soft drinks. The last part of the preparations is to put up a white banner at the front of the
table with Guru Nanak’s Mission written in navy blue bold capitals. A sign is also positioned at the
top of Albert Street directing passers-by to the Mission.
Twenty Sikh volunteers huddle around the table as the leader of the Mission, Harry Bhaker, hands
out fluorescent lime green Hi-Vis waistcoats from a cardboard box. The words, ‘one act for humanity
providing free food’ are printed on the back.
The first homeless person to pass through is welcomed by name. Rather than being counted as part
of another homeless statistic or deemed non-existent when politely asking for money – here he is
seen as a human being. He is given warm pasta assisted by white long grain rice inside a container
steamed up with condensation. Chocolates, crisps and drinks are on the far side of the table free to
the homeless to choose from. At a quick pace the dozens of homeless are all served in approximately
20 minutes.

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On what has been a successful evening is somewhat disturbed by an ungrateful soul. A pale, ginger-
bearded man with regurgitated alcohol spread all over his coat arrives at the Mission. He overlooks a
few shoulders to see what is on offer. Much to his dismay, he is not happy with the food. In a fit of
anger, he yelled, “Not f*****g pasta again.” The Sikh volunteers remain composed and provide him
with an alternative dish but he incessantly refuses. He walks off in frenzy. This is a rare occurrence
here but it is a shame it happens at all, particularly after the hard work and graft in getting the food
to the homeless free of charge.
The majority of the homeless are appreciative and sit down on the metal benches that run along
Albert Street to consume their meal. Others have dispersed with food in their hands- returning to
their secret hideouts to settle in for the night.
They may look from distance average members of the public. But they are not. Sharpen the lens and
they are revealed - drug addicts, victims of mental illnesses, people with understandably poor
hygiene. Does this stop the Mission from handing a helping hand? The simple answer is no.
You can hear a loud sound of mumbling as if someone has dropped a microphone on the floor. The
conversations are in full flow. Discussions range from anything about the homeless asking why the
Sikhs do the Mission to where a homeless person is sleeping tonight. Whilst this is going on, Harry
paces up and down the street raising his voice in a calming tone, “Does anyone want more food?” he
says. For those who put their arms up like the teacher is taking the register - Harry swiftly walks back
to the green rucksacks to collect food for them.
At 8pm the Mission draws to a close for the evening. The homeless say their goodbyes and walk
away in to the darkness. All that is left to do for the volunteers is pack the equipment away and go
home to their safe and comfortable beds.
Albert Street is stagnant. A few empty crisp and chocolate wrappers failed to be put in the bin by the
homeless are swirled up in the wind. Elsewhere, blue security lights are flashing above shops and a
faulty street light is flickering. The air is a bit stale, the mood a bit weary. But, it’s another day where
the homeless have been fed.
We are thankful
LEE IS ALWAYS the last person to leave Guru Nanak’s Mission. The temperature drops below three
degrees and the street - full 30 minutes earlier – is now desolate. The bells strike eight from St
Peter’s Church on Albert Street and Lee sets off with his stomach full of pasta, soya mince, rice
pudding - and a Cadburys Dairy Milk to finish. He’s bracing another night without shelter on the cold,
misty streets of Nottingham.
Now in his late thirties Lee’s been homeless for almost a year. But, before being dumped out on to
the street his life was a far cry from perfect. His father passed away when he was in his teens, his
mother turned to the drink. Lee can’t remember a time when she was sober. He decided to move
out of their two bedroom flat. He was tired of seeing her intoxicated for large periods of the day.
Tired of the constant arguing. Estranged from family members, he spent the next 20 years of his life
living alone in St Ann’s, one of the most roughest and ethnically diverse areas of Nottingham.

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He made a steady income as a brick layer. It was enough to put food on the table and pay the bills of
his 11th floor flat in an eyesore tower block. But temptation grew on Lee in an area full of guns,
violence, prostitution, drugs, alcoholics and ex-convicts. He fell in with drug dealers and scrubbers
on benefits who lived on the estate. He started taking drugs and drinking excessively. He liked drugs,
liked to escape from St Ann’s. At first, Lee would have the occasional ounce of cannabis after work.
But it led to stronger drugs like cocaine. He started to miss work and committing petty crime to get a
quick fix.
One Saturday morning, Lee was busted and subsequently lost his job. Months later, he was evicted.
There was no alternative to sleeping on old mahogany park benches, outside shops, in bus shelters -
anywhere he could sleep without being moved on.
And that was when, out on the streets, Lee discovered Guru Nanak’s Mission. What started out as a
temporary feeding station before he got back on his feet soon evolved in to him becoming a regular,
queuing every week for one of life’s basic needs.
“A good meal like this to me is three meals all in one, because in the day you get a chocolate bar or a
bag of crisp ”
Lee has been using the project for six months now, and simply without it he says he goes hungry. He
earns as much as £5 a day from begging on the high street and in front of cash points, but some days
he earns as little as £2. On other days Lee starves or systematically waits for the Tesco security guard
to turn his head as he steals a chicken and mayo sandwich.
He likes coming to the Mission not just for the free food but for the company. Volunteers greet him
by name and sit down to have a chat. Harry even gave him a bag full of donated clothes containing
hats, thick coats, jumpers and trousers to keep him warm during the cold weather. Lee is thankful to
the Sikh community and is now determined to get clean. No more booze, cannabis, cocaine and
meth he promises himself and he is hopeful of finding a permanent place to stay in the near future.
I WAS MADE homeless five months ago for the second time in a year. I first lost my bed at the
Salvation Army in Sneinton, Nottingham – it closed down. Hundreds of single wooden beds scattered
across four floors now vacant. The mattresses were filled with very little cloth and most of the
springs had gone. I was always awoken by a cold draft in the morning, but it was a million times
better than living on the tragically brutal streets. I liked it there – we were one big family. I met some
great people who were going through the same drug and alcohol addiction problems as me. It was a
place I could get solid hours of sleep rather than being troubled by students stumbling home at 3am
in the amber glare of streetlights.
The workers there helped me reduce my drug intake week by week. I started to feel normal again. At
times I could look myself in the mirror. Yet, when I lost my privileges of shelter, a warm bed and
three meals a day, I helplessly fell back in to the trap again. I resumed to the isolated world of a drug
addict. For about a month or two, I roamed the streets in the same plain grey bottoms and thick
black Umbro coat. This was perhaps the worst I have been. I began hallucinating of being on some
exotic beach or in an extravagant car when in reality I had spent hours staring at billboards. One
afternoon I even woke up in the town centre covered in piss.

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I would often pass out on the street and one day I was woken by an employee at YMCA
(accommodation for homeless) on
Shakespeare Street. She took me in and gave me a cuppa. I think her name was Sarah, she asked me
if I wanted to stay and I jumped to the offer. I spent the next two months in this nicely furnished
centre. They tried to get me involved in taking maths, literacy and cooking classes - I wasn’t
interested. I’d sometimes go out at night to hang around with a few friends in an abandoned burnt
pub. We drank and took drugs till daylight. This soon turned in to a habit. I became aggressive and
missing meetings with my assigned care worker. YMCA had lost hope on me. Then, on a Saturday
morning, on my way back from the abandoned pub, I tried to get in to the centre, but the staff told
me I was too much trouble and sent me away.
I was homeless again and it was my fault. I spent most of my nights drinking, taking drugs and
scrounging for money from anyone. In the day I had turned in to a subterranean resident, sleeping
under bridges, on platforms and in tunnels out of harm’s way.
Three weeks ago, I was walking hopelessly on Albert Street when I saw a large cue of about 60
people outside of Marks & Spencer. I was wondering what was going on, so I asked a woman in the
queue and she said Sikhs hand out free food here. I decided to wait in the queue because I was
starving. When I got to the front they greeted me and asked for my name, I said Daniel quietly. I
thought they would refuse me because they could probably smell the Red Stripe on my breath. Yet,
they welcomed me and gave me a portion of pasta along with some coffee and chocolates.
Since then I have been attending consistently.
“When I walk up the street and see them there it’s like Christmas”
I always leave here on a full stomach. This is a brilliant project and it has been a blessing for me. The
Sikh volunteers talk to me and give me some guidance which has brought some stability back in my
life. It’s a shame the government aren’t doing more to help the homeless but the Sikh community
strive in helping others.
Kam Sangha explores the deeper message behind why Sikhs give free food to
the homeless
FOR THE VOLUNTEERS providing free food to the homeless and those in need not only in
Nottingham, but throughout the nation and in countries worldwide such as India, USA, Canada and
Australia, it is more than just charitable work. This is a religious duty dating back over 500 years ago
when the Sikh religion was formed and its founder, Guru Nanak, introduced the concept of Langar- a
free kitchen where donated vegetarian food is prepared by volunteers and freely served to the
community on a daily basis. Guru Nanak set forward the concept of Langar because he rejected the
idea of different castes not eating together and stressed the importance of equality for all. Despite
Sikhs not being obligated to being meat-free, all Langar is vegetarian so that no religious group is
offended and everyone regardless of dietary restrictions can eat as equals.
Today, thousands of free Langar meals are served every day in about 200 Sikh temples all across the
UK and they are available to anyone, regardless of their culture, religion or social status. With over

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900,000 people in the UK relying on food banks, the Sikh community is now taking the concept of
Langar outside its traditional setting in temples and out on to the streets.
Everyone shares the tasks of Langar, whether this is preparing food, cooking, serving or cleaning and
these duties are part of seva which every Sikh is encouraged to do.
What is Seva?
Seva translates to selfless service performed without any personal benefit and it is a vital aspect of
Sikhism to provide a service to all humanity. All Sikhs should be prepared to sacrifice some of their
time, energy and talents to help others and those who perform such acts are called a sevadar.
These are the three different parts of seva:
Tan: This is a physical service and includes things such as preparing food, washing dishes and
maintenance in a Gurdwara.
Man: One’s mental abilities should be shared with the community whether those abilities are
educative, communicative or inspirational.
Dhan: Providing a material service to people, in particular the poor and needy, for example, giving
money, food and time to help others.
Sikhism also teaches the concept of daswandh which means to give 10% of your income to those
who are poor or suffering. Yet, this could also mean 10% of your food or 10% of your time. Seva
means something different to each individual, but Harry Bhaker, says:
“It’s like one of the wings on a bird and the other wing being mediation. A bird will only fly with both
wings, so Seva is a big part of our daily lives which is why I volunteer here”
This 500 year old tradition of seva means that the Guru Nanak Mission Nottingham is never short on
donations or volunteers to help prepare and cook food for the homeless.
Helping Humanity
Harry Bhaker, 24, leader of Guru Nanak’s Mission
HARRY IS CHARISMATIC, articulate and very much committed to Sikhism. By day he protects the
streets of Nottingham as a policeman and by night he serves the community as a volunteer of the
Guru Nanak Mission and its leader. He founded the project on March 10th 2014 and since then has
attended every Monday and Thursday to help the homeless.
He started the Mission in his birth city of Nottingham, inspired by the example of his Derby
counterparts who run a similar project.
“I knew a friend in Derby who invited me and a few others to come and help out feeding the
homeless,” Harry says. “Yet, I knew we wouldn’t be able to do this every week and that’s when I
decided to set one up here –there’s a demand for it, there’s a need for it. We’re not going to make a
big difference out in Africa and India, but we can make a huge difference locally,” Harry explains.

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Harry is seen as royalty at the Mission - everyone passing through the Gurdwara doors greets him by
name and shakes his hand in respect. It is fair to say he plays an integral part in keeping this project
ticking over. He is the first to arrive at the temple and unlock the padlock to the storage door where
donations are kept. Single-handedly he places the items on two 8ft by 3ft stainless steel tables ready
for volunteers to immediately start cooking. All told, Harry sacrifices around 10 hours a week of his
spare time.
Harry says the substantial donations keep the project flourishing. “It’s been incredible,” he says.
“Without the donations we wouldn’t exist. We very much encourage people to go out and buy food
for the Mission rather than reach in to their pockets and give a fiver because anyone can do that.
That’s something we promote but obviously we also need some monetary donations to keep the
project running.”
Harry tells me over some vegetarian Indian cuisine a bizarre story that to some extent sums up the
Mission. On duty two years ago, he arrested a man for shoplifting coincidentally outside the Marks &
Spencer branch where Sikh volunteers now carry out the project. A couple of months ago, the same
man used the Guru Nanak Mission and Harry was the one to hand him over the food. It goes to show
that everyone is welcome.
“A key thing we don’t do is force our religion on anyone. We don’t go out on to the street and
preach the Sikh religion is the best. Our motive is to promote a humanitarian message,” says Harry.
Being young and vibrant, Harry is active on the social media aspect of the project. He posts without
fail weekly pictures on the Facebook page called Guru Nanaks Mission Nottm. These include images
of food donated, homeless people turning out and volunteers cooking inside the Gurdwara. He is
speculative that this will help more people get involved in this tremendous initiative.
How have people reacted so far on social media? I put to Harry as he sips his Indian herbal tea made
from Tulsi Green tea bags. “We’ve had positive feedback from everyone - people like the concept
and a few also want to get involved. I think social media helps us a lot in not only getting donations
but to get people to actually come down here and see what we’re doing,” he says.
A VOLUNTEER FROM the Mission, Dharminder Singh, 39, or Dharmy as he likes to be called, steps
aside from stirring the rice in the Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara to talk to me.
Dressed in his slick black suit, Dharmy has just finished a 10 hour shift at his chemist located 13 miles
away in Keyworth. He has been volunteering since the mission began and shows up as much as
possible. Do you get any personal satisfaction from helping the homeless? I ask.
Dharmy is nodding. “Yes, of course. If you want to serve God the best way to do it is by serving
humanity. It’s such a fantastic feeling when helping someone in need and it’s not about Sikhs helping
people; it’s about humanity helping humanity- that’s why I like to do it,” he says.
Dharmy often leaves about 50 cards explaining the Guru Nanak mission at the counter of his chemist
next to the lolly pop sticks and packs of chewing gum. He does this to raise the profile of the project
so that the wider community can get involved. Thus far his customers have taken to the idea and
have made considerable donations including clothes, food and sleeping bags.

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I ask him what role he plays as a volunteer here. ‘I’m the supervisor,’ Dharmy chortles in a jovial
Yorkshire accent. He continues: “There is a logistical process that has to be done from getting the
food, to preparing the ingredients, to cooking them, to packing them and finally transporting them
there. I’ll fit in anywhere where necessary.”
The time is fast approaching 7.10pm and the volunteers are finishing putting the last food containers
in the cars. So, the last question I put forward to Dharmy is what he thinks of the homeless situation
in Nottingham. He looks thoughtful for a moment and then replies, “The situation is being ignored
by the Council and the taxes we are paying are not going to where they are needed. Hopefully this
Mission highlights that there is a need and some of the money spent on frivolous activities can be
diverted to focus on helping the homeless.”
Dharmy just like the other volunteers is 100% dedicated to the cause and don’t let his lavish suit fool
you – here at the project everyone is seen and treated as equals.
Portfolio Commentary
The idea came to me when I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed. An article posted by the
BBC titled, ‘Why homeless Britons are turning to the Sikh community for food,’ immediately caught
my eye. Being of Sikh faith myself I found this of interest and whilst delving in to the story further
the more it grew on me. How have the homeless reacted to this? Why are so many Sikhs joining in?
How many people are these projects reaching? All sorts of questions ran through my head. I was
intrigued. So I asked my flat mate who is also Sikh if he had heard anything about this story and he
pointed me in the direction of someone who started a Mission to feed the homeless in Nottingham.
His name was Harry Baker. I contacted him to see if I could get involved. He sounded enthusiastic
and invited me to see the project in action.
In total I visited the Guru Nanak Mission three times to gather all the information I required to
produce an in depth piece of writing. The first time I went I took the train to the City Centre and
subsequently caught the 36 bus to Bilborough which stops off at Radford. This is the location of the
Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara where food is cooked to give to the homeless. On this occasion I took a
note pad with me and just made observations to get a feel of what they were doing. I was
overhearing conversations which guided the questions I was going to ask the Sikh volunteers and
homeless. I also made descriptive notes on the surroundings e.g. weather, the look of the buildings
and clothing people were wearing. This allowed me to create a vivid picture for the reader so that
they could engage with the piece.
The second time I went I opted to help out and become a volunteer for the day. I arrived at the
Gurdwara at 5pm sharpish raring to go. This put me in the mind-set of a volunteer which helped me
write the portfolio. As I was serving I was greeting the homeless and building a relationship up with
them. Then, on my final trip I was well informed to carry out my interviews. I had spoken to the
homeless before so they were prepared to speak to me and open up about their personal lives. And I
interviewed Harry and another volunteer. The interviews are written in different styles to stop
repetition and to show diversity. I thought first person writing for one of the homeless interviews
would be insightful and would highlight the effect the project has had on them.

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By this point I had the interviews and context but thought to add more colour to the piece I could do
a section on why Sikhs help the homeless. This gives the reader a better understanding and gives the
whole Mission more meaning.
I envisaged that my portfolio could be presented as a special pull out section in a broadsheet paper
such as the Guardian. I strongly believe the target audience can be anyone including those who are
not religious.
In researching the story I obtained most of the information from observation and interviews.
Additional research was carried out online by reading around on websites to find out specific
definitions for words such as Seva and Langar which I have heard of before coming from a Sikh
background. I also looked for facts and statistics on the homeless situation currently in Britain.
The style I have chosen for the portfolio is compelling, colourful and detailed. My aim before I set
out writing was to deliver this information in a way that would engage the reader. So, with the use
of personal stories from the homeless and the perspectives of a volunteer; it makes for an
interesting read because it is about real people.

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By this point I had the interviews and context but thought to add more colour to the piece I could do
a section on why Sikhs help the homeless. This gives the reader a better understanding and gives the
whole Mission more meaning.
I envisaged that my portfolio could be presented as a special pull out section in a broadsheet paper
such as the Guardian. I strongly believe the target audience can be anyone including those who are
not religious.
In researching the story I obtained most of the information from observation and interviews.
Additional research was carried out online by reading around on websites to find out specific
definitions for words such as Seva and Langar which I have heard of before coming from a Sikh
background. I also looked for facts and statistics on the homeless situation currently in Britain.
The style I have chosen for the portfolio is compelling, colourful and detailed. My aim before I set
out writing was to deliver this information in a way that would engage the reader. So, with the use
of personal stories from the homeless and the perspectives of a volunteer; it makes for an
interesting read because it is about real people.