Sikh father and daughter honoured after their langar charity served a million meals in a year

A Sikh father and daughter who began by handing out 30 meals a week outside a job centre now run a charity that serves more than 20,000 meals every week. Inderjit Jugdy and Avtar Kaur, the founders of Langar Aid in Coventry, have been given the city council's Good Citizen Award after their charity served more than a million meals in the last year alone, the BBC reports.

The award recognises a decade of work supporting people facing hardship, from rough sleepers to families struggling with the cost of living.

From 30 meals to a million

Langar Aid began in 2016, when the pair started serving meals outside Coventry's job centre. What began with family and friends cooking at home has grown far beyond anything they imagined.

"When we started, we didn't think it would grow into such a massive project, but it really has surprised us and inspired us to carry on," said Mr Jugdy, who turns 70 this month. He said it was hard to know exactly how many meals had been served over the past ten years, but the charity had provided more than a million in the last year.

Langar Aid is part of Khalsa Aid International, the humanitarian organisation that supports vulnerable people whatever their faith, background or circumstances.

The tradition behind it

The charity takes its name and its spirit from langar, the free communal meal served at every gurdwara. Ms Kaur said bringing that tradition to the wider community was a natural extension of the values she and her father grew up with.

"Every Sikh temple around the world has a langar where anyone can go in, regardless of their religion, age or background, and have a free meal," she said. "So we follow that concept to help people in need."

"At its heart, the motivation has always remained the same, to serve humanity with compassion, dignity and no discrimination, offering not just food but a sense of care and human connection to those who need it most," she added.

"A lasting difference"

Presenting the award, Coventry's Lord Mayor, Roger Bailey, said the pair had made a lasting difference to people's lives. "For more than a decade they have devoted their time, energy and compassion to supporting people facing hardship, ensuring that thousands of residents have had access to food, support and a sense of belonging when they needed it most," he said.

A tradition that feeds Birmingham too

The same tradition is a familiar part of life in Birmingham, home to one of the largest Sikh communities in the UK. The city's gurdwaras serve langar to anyone who walks through the door, and Sikh volunteers run food projects in many neighbourhoods, often stepping up at times of crisis and at festivals such as Diwali and Vaisakhi.

Stories like Langar Aid's are a reminder of how much is done quietly by volunteers, week in and week out. Food charities across the region say demand remains high as winter arrives, and they rely on donations of food, money and time. Anyone who would like to help can contact a local gurdwara, food bank or community kitchen to find out what is needed most.

For Mr Jugdy and Ms Kaur, a decade on, the aim is the same as on the first night outside the job centre: to make sure nobody who needs a hot meal goes without one.