Sikh charity SEVA ‘banned’ from feeding homeless at Seven Kings gurdwara

Volunteers at Singh Sabha London East, High Road, Seven Kings, preparing food parcels for Calais refugees. Archant

A Sikh charity, which uses the Seven Kings gurdwara to give out food to homeless people, claims it has been banned by the temple’s executive committee.

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Sikh Empowerment Voluntary Association (SEVA) volunteers handing out drinks in High Road, Ilford. Picture: Sikh PA Sikh Empowerment Voluntary Association (SEVA) volunteers handing out drinks in High Road, Ilford. Picture: Sikh PA

The Sikh Empowerment Voluntary Association (SEVA) has been using the kitchen in Singh Sabha London East, High Road, since July 2015 to cook food to give to rough sleepers.

But last week, when SEVA volunteers arrived at the temple, they were told by a new executive committee they couldn’t use the facilities under the name of charity.

The group released a statement saying “SEVA is now banned from doing any work at the gurdwara”.

“It is a great shame that the very place where we are supposed to come together and serve is the very place that is objecting to our work of feeding the needy each week.”

The statement added: “For the welfare of our volunteers and the number of young children involved, we have reached the decision to exit peacefully without a disruptive protest.”

Mandeep Kaur Chahal, one of SEVA’s volunteers from Ilford, said she was very upset.

The 41-year-old told the Recorder: “We have always used these kitchens and the previous management were very supportive of us.

“It’s a lot of politics. I wanted it to work but unfortunately it hasn’t. When they came in, we realised quite quickly that they didn’t want to support it.”

She added: “We like to work with other faiths but they don’t support that. We couldn’t work under that.”

Balvinder Singh, from Singh Sabha London East’s executive committee, said volunteers were not banned, but “they’re not allowed to use the facilities for their own business”.

He also objected to “drunk people and people on drugs” coming for SEVA’s food.

SEVA member Jagdeep Singh Sohal, 33, from Emerson Park, appealed to the community for the use of a shared kitchen, to replace the gurdwara’s.

He said: “I want to make an appeal to the community for a space where we can prepare our food for the homeless.”

On January 4 the gurdwara’s executive committee made a further statement.

It said: “Singh Sabha London East Seven Kings is categorically refuting all allegations that it has banned SEVA from using its premises and provision of food for the homeless people.”

The gurdwara executive committee says it asked SEVA to work more closely together, including incorporating two people from Singh Sabha as trustees.

It alleges SEVA refused these offers.