5th Awards Winners
Giani Sukha Singh is a national figure that has dedicated his life to Seva. He has founded two voluntary organisations, the Sikh Naujawan Academy and the Sikh Helpline. The SNA have run free nationwide gurmat-camps for 21-years, providing educational activities to thousands of youths, encouraging good Sikhi-lifestyles, morals and values. SHL, established 18 years ago, provides a free 24hour national helpline, offering advice, support and guidance. He also completed a national bike ride of 500 miles for charity. Giani Ji was recently approached by the UK Home Office to act as their Sikh representative.
Gursharan Kaur started her career in India, working with the Indian Red Cross. Moving to Canada in 1995 she has since worked with many organisations as executive director and chairperson. In 2003 she started her own company, the Canadian International Academic Services Incorporation. CIAS was set up to provide international students from all around the world with the opportunity to gain access to quality education in Canada. The company represents over 57 educational institutions globally. Gursharan has successfully been able to change the lives of 1800 international students by providing them with admissions into Canadian post-secondary institutions. She is also the Founder of the Canadian Intercultural Association of Students (CIAOS).
Baldeep Singh is the ‘Renaissance Man’ of Punjab. For the past several decades, he has compassionately dreamt and zealously worked towards a radical reclamation and transformation of the cultural topography of Punjab. Anyone who has heard him render the vintage etiquettes of Gurbani Kirtan cannot but be overwhelmed not only by the sheer range of his knowledge but also by the spiritual resonance he brings into play. He is known the world over as perhaps the finest teacher of music from South Asia. He has mooted, for the first time, the idea of setting up a conservatory at the Qila of Sultanpur Lodi.
Sangat Television is the first TV channel in the world set up as a registered charity. It is committed to promoting Sikhi and propagating ‘Dharam Parchar’. Sangat TV, is owned by The Sangat Trust, a registered charity backed by Gurudwaras from the UK and from other individuals. The channel is an open platform for the Sikh Sangat to express their views independently. Sangat TV popularity grew during the UK riots in 2011. It’s coverage was used by BBC News, Sky News, CNN and Fox News. Prime Minister David Cameron said “this was an example of a media company’s commitment to social responsibility”
Navtej Singh is the world’s first Sikh Bodybuilders. Having successfully won a number of respected awards in the industry, he has proudly taken the Sikh identity to forefront of this demanding and highly competitive global sport. Navtej has also recently started his movie career and is due to release a new film globally highlighting some of the key historical injustices faced by many Sikhs. Over the years he has won Mr. Punjab, Mr. North India, Mr. India, Mr. World Amberix International Championships and the Mr. Europe Pro Open.
Swaran Singh was born in 1945, he is a business man and philanthropist. He joined the International Lions Club in the year 1976. He held various positions at Club and District Level. He obtained a grant to build the Lions Eye Hospital, the most advanced facility in Sub Saharan Africa of its kind. He raised funds to build Lions Service Centre in 2002. He revived the oldest Gurudwara in Kenya, which is now declared as National monument. In 2010 he completed a 96 bed project at Makindu Temple. More recently in 2008 Swaran Singh was elected Project Chairman, for a magnificent South C Darbar and complex, inaugurated in 2014
Pardeep Singh is a 23year old well-known fashion blogger and the founder of ‘Singh Street Style’. In September 2014 he was chosen to be the face of Samsung, for their Alpha smart phone campaign. He is the first Sikh turbaned man to be the face of a global campaign for a international organisation. He was recently named as one of the top 10 fashion bloggers by Esquire magazine. Pardeep has been featured in many mainstream fashion publications and newspapers such as Vogue, The Guardian, Time Magazine, Financial Times, MTV and Men Fashion Magazine.
Amrit is one of the youngest double master’s winners in the UK having studied at the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University and London School of Economics. He joined the banking fraternity in 2000 with Coutts. One of the first turbaned Sikhs he quickly established his name within the industry. Six years later he joined Credit Suisse as the Head of their new office and was recently made the Global Head of South Asian Clients with EFG Bank.
February 2003 saw Sukhi become Founder of Octavian Security, after seeing a niche in the market, and now Group CEO for the Octavian Group, currently comprising of companies within the UK, USA and South Africa. Octavian was named Britain’s 27th fastest growing private company in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track League Table. In 2011, he became the first non-USA citizen to join the HSFA Board of Directors and served as Chairman in 2012. Sukhi is currently a member of the Nottingham Trent University Development Board, International Ambassador for the City of Nottingham, columnist for Asian World and a member of the British Indian Business Forum.
Parminder Kaur is a Pharma regulatory professional providing strategic input for medicinal product development. She has Lead a combination therapy project in collaboration with the R&D Group at the European Commission. She was chosen to be a scientific representative from India by the American Society of Microbiology in 2000. Currently, she is the owner of RegPak BioPharma Consulting based in Amsterdam, Holland. Parminder is an eminent speaker at International Conferences and has recently forayed into the medical world. She has the credit for introducing innovative treatment options for cancer patients in India.
Malvinder Singh is Executive Chairman of Fortis Healthcare. With a current net worth of $2.6 billion, he is a dynamic business leader and philanthropist recognised globally for his contribution of pursuing business for profit and for the betterment of the community. He incubated and established Fortis Healthcare, in the late 1990’s and has been instrumental in its transformation as a leading healthcare delivery company working towards making healthcare widely accessible for all. Malvinder Singh is on the Board of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations and is the serving Chairman of the CII Services Council. He earned his MBA from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, USA.
Tarlochan Singh is an Indian politician and a Member of the Parliament of India, representing Haryana. He served as Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities from 2003 to 2006 with the Union Cabinet of India. He has done tremendous work for Sikhs worldwide, contributing huge efforts for the rescue and settlement of Afghan Sikhs after the Afghanistan civil war. He published calendars and developed museums on Sikh history, travelling worldwide to educate people about the teachings and values of Sikhism. He visited Maine in the USA in 2008. Tarlochan Singh has received many awards and was a member of Rajya Sabha (2004-2010).