Humble volunteers given Empire Medal
Work for United Sikhs
TWO volunteers from Hillingdon were awarded the British Empire Medal as part of the Queen’s birthday honours last week.
Narpinderjit Mann, 39, from Hayes, and Harbans Sidhu, 57, from Ickenham, were awarded the gong in recognition of their work with the United Sikhs charity on behalf of Sikh people in the UK.
Ms Mann helped hundreds of Indian and Pakistani nationals in the UK, including those here illegally, who wished to return home but were unable or afraid to contact the authorities.
She said: “In 2009 so many students came here to the UK from India and Pakistan and were struggling. So I started by having a word with the local temple, they gave us a space to work. We helped them with CVs.
“Then homeless people started coming to our help desk with nowhere to eat or sleep and wanted to go back to India and Pakistan so I made phone calls.”
People seeking to return to their home countries are often scared to contact the Home Office for fear of being arrested or detained.
Ms Mann added: “They had no passport, and no details as such so I just used my contacts and spoke to Pakistan high commission and the home office. I’m glad they believed in me, we’ve sent over 500 back.”
Ms Mann, who says helping people is her main hobby and goal, is honoured to received the BME.
She said: “I’m so proud to have received this honour and that my work for the last six years has been recognised. I was over the moon and very emotional to be recognised for my work in the community.”
United Sikhs are based within the Ealing community, attending the Singh Sabha Gurdwara.
Ms Mann acted as a crucial conduit between Immigration Enforcement (IE) and individuals, arranging paperwork and meeting officials to progress cases. She spent her free time counselling individuals, reassuring their travel arrangements.
Describing what it feels like when someone she’s helped is returned home, she said: “Money is not a matter, when you help some and they give you their blessing that’s worth a million dollars.
“People are here for 10 years and they don’t see their family. They’re missing their families and they don’t know where to go or how to contact them. Afterwards, they phone me back, they give me feedback, give me a blessing and sometimes I feel really emotional and sometimes proud.”
Harbans Sidhu, who also received the BEM, has a similar story.
The qualified mediator said: “It started with an influx of immigrants, some of them were desperate people. I thought: ‘ This could be my son on the street’.
“Initially we started giving them clothing and food but then we found some of them wanted to go home. So I started calling the Home Office. It took a lot of meetings, leg-work, convincing, influencing but we’ve sent
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really over 300 people home now.” Ms Sidhu, who tragically lost her husband and brought up their two children single-handedly, is honoured in recognition of her hard work.
She said: “I didn’t expect anything. I felt a bit shaken, that somebody is recognising what I do.”
Humble Ms Sidhu, who says volunteering is “part of who she is” was nominated by the Home Office for the achievement.
United Sikhs are based within the Ealing community, attending the Singh Sabha Gurdwara.