Food for Thought

Community-minded parent, Satnam Singh, whose son is joining Leighton Park School in September 2020, has been involved with an incredible food distribution operation since the start of lockdown. Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara (GMGG) is a Sikh temple situated on Bath Road in Slough whose premises have become the centre of a massive catering operation since Covid-19 hit the UK. Unable to use their space for worship the regular congregation and many local residents have come together to create and deliver over 22,000 meals per week as either hot meals or food boxes.

“We are very busy but blessed to have the opportunity to do something like this,” reflected Satnam, “It’s amazing what you are capable of doing when you get together. We are fortunate to have the volunteers coming in and to be able to use the temple for some good. The key to us is to help those who need it the most.”

The tasty and nutritious food is freshly made each day to strict health and safety standards, packed in microwaveable containers and chilled ready for distribution. Organisations accepting deliveries can store them in refrigerators ready for their final recipients. The delicious meals have been welcomed by Slough and Ealing Councils for their most vulnerable residents, by homeless hostels, by a number of NHS trusts including the Royal Berks, Frimley Park and the Royal Surrey Hospital for their staff and now, by one of our very own community partners, Whitley Community Development Association (CDA) who are receiving their first delivery on Wednesday 20^th May.

Trisha Bennett, Community Development Co-ordinator at WCDA, was delighted to be approached by Satnam, following an introduction by Tash Coccia, Assistant Head: Co-Curricular and Partnerships, at Leighton Park. The Surplus Food Project is a crucial element of the work at Whitley CDA. Trisha’s team regularly collect surplus food from M&S, Aldi, Makro and Morrisons, creating food boxes for 150 families each week. “We are supporting about 400 people in this way” said Trisha, “There is a desperate need out there and we have an opportunity to combine our food delivery with a welfare visit at the moment. Usually people come into the centre, use the café, chat but now we can’t do that. The deliveries give us a chance to stay in touch. It is especially important for those who are normally just managing because those who are furloughed or unable to work because they are self-employed are now really struggling.”

In addition to surplus groceries Trisha welcomes complete meals, such as those from GMGG, which are ready to eat. “We have ‘Turkish Mangal’ providing burger and chips every Wednesday lunchtime for about 200 people and ‘Ethiopian Table’ in Palmer Park brings 50 children’s pasta dishes a week to us. The local mosque has given hot meals to Whitley CDA three times a week throughout Ramadan and now Satnam’s organisation will be bringing 100-150 meals per day to support the work of the team.

Tash commented “Seeing the impact of partnership work is rewarding to say the least. Bringing people together who really benefit from partnership working is the one of the most satisfying parts of the work we do because it enables us to throw the net out wider and know even more is being done to support those in need. I am delighted that we have been able to make a connection between Whitley CDA,  one of our key community partnerships, and one of our September 2020 new parents. The connectivity between these two charities from different locations and with distinct strengths, means that we can all work together for the greater good and make even more impact with our efforts. Whitley CDA and GMGG are both committed to making a difference. They share LP’s ethos of integrity and respect. During the pandemic, there is no better time to be bringing organisations together, make links and share best practice. We have so much to learn from each other. This is a partnership we will be keenly staying in touch with as it flourishes and spreads hope to so many over the weeks to come.”

“There is a lot of alignment for me between the spiritual side of Sikh life and Quaker values,” noted Satnam, “When we heard about the values of the school and met Matthew the Head, we found out it was not just superficial. It is inherent in the way the school is run, the teachers believe in the school and academic results follow. It is a great ethos, a great heritage.”

“We are all here for the same reason,” reflected Trisha, “Leighton Park is not in the community but it is part of it and I think that’s really important.”