'Rose of Northamptonshire' awarded to Sikh Community Centre for tireless work to help vulnerable

The Sikh Community Centre & Youth Club on St James Mill Road has worked through the pandemic to help vulnerable people.

A Sikh community centre that has worked throughout the pandemic to feed rough sleepers, support vulnerable people and help volunteers has been awarded a Rose of Northamptonshire.

Sikh Community Centre & Youth Club, on St James Mill Road, has been leading the way since the March 2020

lockdown.

The centre has served up hundreds of hot meals to rough sleepers and vulnerable people.

Over the past 10 months, they have provided critical support to 300 vulnerable people per week impacted by Covid-19.

They also threw themselves in to provide emergency food aid for the homeless and those evacuated following the Northampton Christmas floods.

Now, the centre has been awarded a "Rose of Northamptonshire", an award created to commend people and communities for outstanding work during the pandemic.

Trustee Amarjit Singh Atwal received an additional Rose Award for his voluntary service coordinating hot meals for the rough sleepers and supporting other voluntary groups throughout the crisis.

The centre also helped support people affected by the recent Christmas floods.

Secretary Kuljit Singh Bhangra said: “It is heart-warming that the beneficiaries we served in the first lockdown have now come back to volunteer and give back to the community.

"Thank you to our network of volunteers, community members, partnerships and supporters for volunteering their time, making donations and utilising their skills to help the most vulnerable in our county."

The centre's volunteering initiatives have included making PPE for NHS staff, donating food, resources, Christmas hampers and even furniture.