Home - Gurdwara Aid | Better Together

WORKING WITH GURDWARAS AND SIKH CHARITIES

A non-profit social enterprise helping Gurdwaras and Sikh charities with governance, best practices, gift aid, safeguarding, training and providing resources to create safer, more professional, more collaborative and effective Sikh organisations

Story Feed

OUR STORY

EST: 2019

Gurdwara Aid was started in 2019 by Late Gurdeep Singh and Mandip Singh. The first National Gurdwara Conference in September 2019 was the launchpad.

Since then the work of Gurdwara Aid has grown organically in supporting Gurdwaras with charity registrations, gift aid, policies, disputes, border agency registrations and other needs of Gurdwaras. During the Covid lockdown, Gurdwara Aid was instrumental in setting up the National Advisory Group for the Reopening of Gurdwaras (NAGRG) which worked closely with the Taskforce for the reopening of places of worship, through weekly update zoom calls with UK Gurdwaras. During this time Gurdwara Aid distributed 40,000 pieces of PPE to Gurdwaras and other places of worship free, ran a food bank in Birmingham, and arranged for Safeguarding training for around 40 Gurdwaras since 2019. Gurdwara Aid was instrumental in introducing screens for kirtan with the Government and Gurdwaras.

Gurdwara Aid reorganised with a new team in 2022 with Mandip Singh, Jagtar Singh, Jagdev Singh and Harvinder Singh. All have substantial experience running Gurdwaras, through serving now or in the past on their local Gurdwara committees and as trustees with some 20 years of Gurdwara management experience between them.

Gurdwara Aid’s regular Gurdwara update webinars provide valuable information for Trustees and committee members. 4 regional Gurdwara conferences were held in 2022 in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Leicester.

BETTER TOGETHER

MEET THE TEAM

Executive Board

Mandip Singh

Executive Board

Co-founder and director of Gurdwara Aid, Mandip is an FCCA with 35 years compliance, governance, risk and finance in City working for financials institutions such as the Rothschild family office, Wells Fargo & CCLA. Also started Simran in the City a weekly lunchtime simran in the City and Canary Wharf. Mandip Singh is a Trustee of Khalsa Jatha British Isles (Shepherds Bush Gurdwara), co-founded the Khanda Poppy project and has been is a Trustee of Roko Cancer.

Jagtar Singh Gill

Executive Board

A business entrepreneur. Jagtar Singh was General Secretary of the Gurdwara Sahib, Leamington & Warwick where he and a core team oversaw the £11m redevelopment of the Gurdwara (2009-11). He also served as Secretary General of the Sikh Council UK during his 10 years service, and was a founding member of the Sikh Assembly. He currently sits on the Government Roundtable for Sikhs advising the government and other public bodies on Sikh issues. He also sits on the West Midlands Mayor’s Faith Roundtable.

Jagdev Singh

Executive Board

A fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). Jagdev Singh worked for the UK Government Statistical Service and UK Statistics Authority and advised OECD and European Union. He is the General Secretary of Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend and the editor of the British Sikh Report. He also served on the Sikh Assembly.

Harvinder Singh

Executive Board

A driving force in improving community cohesion and building relationships with public bodies, he plays an active role assisting interested parties responding to crime and community concerns. A significant contributor to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office`s Forced Marriages Project. He is also a prominent figure at the forefront of tackling hate crime and co-founder of SikhGuard, an online hate crime reporting portal for Sikhs. Harvinder has been leading the way of making police forces more diverse and co-founded both the West Midlands and the National Sikh Police Association which he leads. He also co-founded and serves on the Cross Government Sikh Forum. He is a long standing Trustee at a Midlands Gurdwara and served on the Walsall Sikh Forum as Vice Chair and Sikh Assembly.

Paramjit Kaur

Executive Board

Paramjit is a Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase Bank, serving as Senior Tax Counsel and Global Head for Indirect Tax. She previously led the Tax Function for EMEA and has been with JPMorgan since 1996 after roles at HMRC and Price Waterhouse. She chaired the VAT working group at UK Finance (2012–2020) and represented the FS industry on indirect tax at the European Banking Federation. A former Executive Member of Sikh Council UK (2012–2016) and Chair of Sikh Assembly (2019–2021), she has led efforts in Sikh human rights, interfaith education, and maintaining Gurdwara access during the pandemic. At JPMorgan, she champions diversity and inclusion through resource groups and the EMEA Regional Council. A global speaker, she shares insights on leadership, work-life balance, and Sikh identity.

Late Gurdeep Singh

Co-Founder | 16th Sept 1962 – 13th Dec 2021

We are driven by values

We are an independent, non political, professional and non-profit, community-driven organisation that provides Gurdwaras, Sikh charities and others with a trusted partner to help Gurdwaras through technical, operational and other day to day challenges.

Super Efficient

We understand that Gurdwara Trustees and Committee members are volunteers with limited time and capacity. We provide additional capacity and expertise.

Deeply Committed

We are deeply committed to the advancement and professionalism of the Gurdwara Community to create safer centres that display the best of Sikh values.

Highly Skilled

We have experienced professionals who understand the regulatory, technical, operational and religious aspects of running a Gurdwara.

Testimonials

Gurdwaras | Sikh charity | Professional | Partners

Since 2019, when I first attended a Gurdwara Aid launch conference in London, I was amazed at the way the organisation represented themselves. Coming from a professional organisation where rules/regulations/policies and standards are to be met daily, my experience as a newly elected committee member 2019 of a gurdwara was a bit concerning due to lack of governance. I am quite methodical and policy procedure driven, so felt awkward, but with Gurdwara Aid coming into force, signed up quickly and since then have never looked back. I encourage and recommend everyone to connect with them, as the advice is clear and professional. The support is above and beyond other organisations, we have had support with policies / AGM’s / Election and even CIO transition. Not only that we became the first gurdwara in the UK to achieve a Safer Centre Award 2022. This organisation is solely to support and ensure that the highest standards are met using the regulated government guidelines and procedures. It has achieved the highest standard possible to help our Sikh gurdwaras in UK become more compliant.

“I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to Gurudwara Aid for their exceptional professionalism in supervising The Pothohar Association UK election. Your dedication to ensuring a smooth and transparent electoral process has not gone unnoticed. The meticulous attention to detail and commitment to upholding democratic values have undoubtedly contributed to the success of the election. It is reassuring to witness organisations like Gurudwara Aid play a pivotal role in fostering a fair and accountable electoral environment. Thank you once again for your invaluable contribution to this important undertaking. Your efforts have truly made a positive impact, and we are fortunate to have Gurudwara Aid's support in such critical matters.

Gurdwara Aid assisted us at Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara (Gravesend) during our 2023 Election for the Gurdwara President. Gurdwara Aid played a crucial role in setting up and running the election process, ensuring full compliance with both Charity Commission and the Gurdwara Constitution requirements. On Election day, their team was punctual, professional, and diligent in carrying out their duties. Their expertise and guidance were invaluable in ensuring a smooth and fair process. On behalf of the Election Board, l am truly grateful for their support and would like to extend my sincere thanks. I have no hesitation in recommending Gurdwara Aid to other Gurdwaras and Sikh Organisations.