Sikh charity takes the worry out of Christmas with presents and food for those in need

The Sikh community at the Gurdwara Baba Vadbhag Singh Ji (BVS) in Coventry are spreading joy this Christmas with presents and food so that everyone has something to unwrap and treats to enjoy on the 25th.

The BVS charity have been collecting and buying children's toys and games since September and in recent weeks have been busy wrapping and putting together hundreds of parcels and hampers.

Organiser Gurdeep Kaur Sehra said:"Christmas is a time full of happiness but it's also a time where people feel most lonely.

"People feel that financial stress and the mission of our founder Kulvinder Singh is to send joy and happiness to all those houses. This year the project is impacting around 2000 people."

The Christmas project has been running since 2017 with the number of people they help growing every year. This time round the gifts have been delivered to nine schools and family centres in Coventry and Warwickshire at a cost of around £50,000.

Up until now, the effort has been self-funded but this year Warwickshire County Council also gave some financial support.

Lindsay Eardley, headteacher at St Paul's C Of E school in Nuneaton which had a delivery from the Gurdwara, said of the families receiving the presents: "They're absolutely overwhelmed that people are doing this for them, that people are that kind.

"It just makes their Christmases because that worry has just disappeared, they don't need to worry anymore. It's about feeling loved and they couldn't be more grateful."

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