1st Awards Winners
Volunteers, staff and supporters work behind the scenes for an organisation they feel is theirs. Our volunteers have led 15 humanitarian relief missions in disaster zones; we provide legal services to defend civil and human rights and we run educational and personal development programmes. Our mission is to provide selfless service to the underprivileged and dispossessed regardless of their religion or belief, ethnicity, nationality or gender. We are now a UN affiliated NGO with offices in 10 countries across the world, including the UK.
Tejinder is a particle physicist at Imperial College London and at the CERN laboratory in Geneva. He is distinguished for his contributions to experimental particle physics. In particular, starting with a handful of colleagues in 1990, he was responsible for setting up the worldwide CMS experiment collaboration. This is one of the two largest and most complex experiments in science with over 3000 scientists and engineers from about 180 institutes in over 38 countries. Professor Virdee has been a leader of the CMS experiment since the early nineties.
Jaswinder Singh Bains, aka Jazzy B was born in Punjab and was raised in Vancouver, Canada, a transatlantic superstar who has introduced a fresh new image to the world of Bhangra music. Since his debut album in 1993, has become one of the most important names in the Punjabi music world. Jazzy B is one the most prominent stars of Punjabi music in the 21st century, having proved his credentials with a string of worldwide smash.
Dr Gurjeet Kaur Bains is Editor in Chief of Britain’s first English/Punjabi publication, The Sikh Times. Amongst her other accomplishments is the role of Non Executive Director of Europe’s largest hospital, she is also Governor of a consortium of colleges in Birmingham. Gurjeet was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Aston University. Gurjeet was the first woman to Chair the Institute of Asian Businesses. She is CEO of Women of Cultures and founder of British Asian Hafta, an initiative that celebrates the success and contributions of the Asian community to Britain. Gurjeet strives to be a positive role model and
Satnam Dhillon has played polo all his life from the first time he could walk to bicycles to horses. His father started playing in his early thirties and Satnam has had the fortune to follow in his father’s footsteps. Satnam is now rated as one of the top four rated English polo players, but Satnam unlike any other player on the same 7 goal handicap he plays as a professional/amateur as he his employed full time in the family property firm. Currently he is also the highest rated Indian player in the game. Satnam also plays for England and is part of the England squad.
Dr Manjit Kaur is a health practitioner and has worked within the community for over 20 yrs. She has been deeply touched by the suffering of fellow human beings and has always set out to help them in whichever way she can. She has presented on various TV & radio stations to raise the profile of health and religious affairs within the Sikh community. Six years ago she travelled out to Kenya to help build clean water supplies with irrigation system for people living in Kenya. In Africa she also travelled to Uganda and set up safe farming areas for families so they could grow and develop their communities. She is now working with local families and hospitals in India treating illnesses, promoting Sikhi and setting up and educational programme for children.
Arriving in London aged 11 and armed with an unstoppable passion and drive, Jaswinder Sehmbi has always been an entrepreneur. From a very young age he learnt he could turn his hand to almost anything and make something from it. Using his talent to decorate homes while at college, supporting a family of five in all ways possible and then realising a dream, to create a business that has taken him all over the world. And it doesn’t stop there. His intuitive way with others and constant strive for learning new things and sharing knowledge has lead him to sponsoring and mentoring young hopefuls, inspiring.
Dr Rabinder Buttar is a highly successful British entrepreneur and the founder, President and CEO of ClinTec International. Included in Real Business’ List of Britain’s 100 Most Entrepreneurial Women, Dr Buttar is the recipient of several prestigious business awards, such as Ernst & Young Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 and The Institute of Directors (IOD) Director of the Year for Glasgow & the West of Scotland. ClinTec has a growing presence in the major markets of Europe, India and the Middle East. Dr Buttar has a PhD in Immunology, which she gained in 1988 from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. Dr Buttar received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland for her.
Dr Kartar Singh Lalvani founded Britain’s fastest growing major nutraceutical company 39 years ago with a portfolio of UK’s No. 1 brand leading supplements, including Pregnacare, Perfectil, Osteocare, Wellman and Wellwoman. Kartar, a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, with a doctorate in medicinal chemistry, has built his business on his patented scientific innovations. The company now sells its products in over 120 countries. In the UK, over £60m worth of products are sold through retail chains, at Boots and nationwide. Dr Lalvani’s group employs over 2000 worldwide with a global turnover of over £200m and further double-digit growth is forecast. Vitabiotics is a private family business and has twice won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Fauja Singh holds the 10,000m record, (64 mins – Lahore Marathon January 2005), 1/2 Marathon (2 hrs 29 mins and 59 secs) and the Marathon record (5 hrs 40 mins and 1 sec) both at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in September 2004 and September 2003 respectively. 94 year old Fauja Singh was to run 100m, 200m, 400m, the mile and 1500m, and a 3000m continuing on to finish the 5000m. Six races covering eight distances in a time limit of 94 mins. Impossible? – Nothing is impossible for the ex-farmer from the Punjab! Fauja Singh clocked 19.97 for the 100. In the 200m he obliterated the UK M90 age group 200m clocking an amazing 45.13sec. The 400m he covered in 1.49.28sec, to become the first in Briton ever to contest this distance.
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ji, is the chairman of the Birmingham based organisation ‘Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewek Jatha’. He is the brainchild of the first Sikh free school, which received the Prime Minister’s backing, Bhai Sahib Ji is one of the most prominent Sikhs in the world – earlier this year, he was designated the official title of ‘Bhai Sahib’ the rarest, highest honour for his global service to the Sikh religion, at a special ceremony at the Golden Temple in India.