The Golden Jubilee celebrations of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ) were celebrated yesterday, 28th March, with a vibrant ceremony at the Gurudwara on Soho Road, Birmingham – marking 50 years of transformative, faith-inspired service to humanity, grounded in the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
The day saw His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Derrick Anderson CBE, lead the formal proceedings as Guest of Honour, recognising GNNSJ’s far-reaching contributions to community life, education, health, heritage conservation, and interfaith collaboration across the UK and globally. His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant offered His Majesty King Charles’ apologies for not being able to attend the event due to his sudden health challenges.
Prior to the Lord-Lieutenant’s arrival many dignitaries including the High Sherriff of the West Midlands – Mr Douglas Wright MBE DL, faith and civic leaders, national and international invitees, and business and academic leaders arrived to cheers of joy from the children from the Nishkam Primary school on Soho Road who participated in the celebrations. His Grace, the Archbishop of Birmingham made a special effort to join the celebration, unfortunately the Bishop of Birmingham, Rt. Revd Dr Michael Volland was unable to attend so sent a special personal congratulatory message for the occasion to Bhai Sahib Ji via his Director of Interfaith, Dr Andrew Smith.
Rabbi Yossi Jacobs, from the Orthodox Synagogue, travelled back especially to join the esteemed faith delegation from Manchester. The Chair of the Birmingham Faith Leaders Group, Pat Whitney, was accompanied by fellow faith colleagues from the Muslim community, Mahmooda Qureshi and Dr Peter Rookes, Hindu representative, Jas Sharma and also Ruth Jacobs from the West Midlands Jewish Association.
The Rev Pastor Carver Anderson, no stranger to the Gurudwara, was pleased to be part of the historic day. The day began with the dignitaries being presented to the Lord Lieutenant.
The VIP group was then led by Bhai Sahib Ji to the Gurudwara Sahib, where the Lord-Lieutenant and guests paid homage to the Sikh Holy Scriptures, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs and spiritual light of the Sikh faith since 1708. They then toured the Langar Hall, witnessing how over 25,000 hot, nutritious vegetarian meals are prepared and served each week by volunteers to people of all backgrounds – a living embodiment of dignity, equality, and service.
The Lord Lieutenant and distinguished guests were also given a tour of the Dome Darbar (the beautiful mirror adorned place of worship) with the cityscape in the background. In the kitchen many volunteers were lovingly cooking hot meals (Langar) for all visitors to the Gurudwara, the guests witnessed firsthand the love and passion that went into meal preparation.
The distinguished guests visited the Gumbad (Dome) Darbar and witnessed the 130,000 hand-cut mirrored piece mosaic on the inside of the dome that was lovingly done by an artisan Muslim master craftsman, Mohammad Jabbar, who unfortunately could not join the celebrations as he was with his ill daughter. The Dome Darbar is an example of the first time traditional Sikh architecture had been used in a European Gurudwara.
Accompanied by Bhai Sahib Professor Mohinder Singh OBE KSG, Chair and Spiritual Leader of GNNSJ and by faith and civic leaders, the Lord-Lieutenant then toured the “Faith in Action: 50 Years of Nishkam Seva” exhibition at the Nishkam Centre, located adjacent to the Gurudwara. The exhibition showcases GNNSJ’s pioneering initiatives in education, healthcare, civic regeneration, heritage conservation, and international development in the UK, India, and Kenya.
The Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Anderson was deeply moved and said: “GNNSJ has long been a cornerstone of our region – its contributions to community life, social justice, interfaith collaboration, and heritage preservation are nothing short of extraordinary.
“From inner-city Birmingham to schools in rural Kenya, GNNSJ has shown how vision, faith, and humility can truly uplift humanity. The vision and mission of GNNSJ in selflessly serving humanity is closely aligned with His Majesty, The King’s personal commitment to serving every citizen of the United Kingdom and the wider global community.
“This Jubilee is not only a celebration of five decades of service – it is a call to continue serving with courage, compassion, and conviction.” The Lord-Lieutenant also viewed Nishkam’s project stands, learning about the Start of Life Care Programme; values-led education for over 10,000 learners; cancer awareness campaigns; and holistic elderly care.
He commended the impact in tackling inequality with dignity and compassion. Bhai Sahib Professor Mohinder Singh OBE KSG, Chairman and Spiritual Leader of GNNSJ, expressed: “We are deeply honoured and grateful to the Lord-Lieutenant for his gracious presence and support.
“On behalf of the entire Nishkam family, we send our heartfelt good wishes to His Majesty The King. We are keeping His Majesty in our prayers as he continues treatment, and we very much look forward to welcoming him to GNNSJ and Birmingham in the near future.
“For fifty years, we have endeavoured to walk in the footsteps of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, serving humanity as one family through Nishkam Seva – selfless service rooted in humility, love, and deep spirituality. GNNSJ’s brand is Nishkam – selflessness – and our motto is ‘Excelling with wisdom and humility.’
“These guiding principles shape every aspect of our work, from values-led education and healthcare to heritage conservation and civic regeneration. GNNSJ is an example of embedding deep spirituality into all forms of civic action – both locally and internationally – demonstrating that service to others is one of the highest forms of devotion.
“This Golden Jubilee is not just a milestone to celebrate but a sacred responsibility to renew our commitment to serve with even greater compassion and courage.” The Golden Jubilee exhibition and celebrations are now open to the public and will continue until the end of April 2025.
All are warmly invited to visit the Nishkam Centre (Exhibition Mon-Sat ending 30th April 2025) and Gurudwara on Soho Road to learn more about GNNSJ’s work and be inspired by the spirit of Faith in Action.
