(Samaj Weekly)- In an auspicious ceremony held at the beautiful Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse Eves, Leicester His Majesty The King’s representative Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Mike Kapur OBE conferred the British Empire Medal BEM on Sulakhan Singh Dard on Monday 5th September 2022. The Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Leicester Counsellor George Cole , Leicester’s first black Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, Deputy Lieutenants and many other dignitaries were present at the ceremony on a stunning beautiful day on which four of the five recipients attended. All the awarders excelled in their own fields of work in the county of Leicestershire.
Deputy Lieutenant Surinder Sharma read the citation for Mr. Dard and said that he is a gifted and committed volunteer who prides himself on his selflessness and tasks to the community of Leicestershire and beyond. He started off by helping his local Sikh community by encouraging them to integrate within society, seeking and gaining employment skills which would be an asset to them and local employers. In 1982 he set up and ran the Sunday supplementary Punjabi school at a local Gurdwara in Leicester.
He organised and ran workshops and organised teacher training to greatly benefit the pupils. In1989 he established the Guru Nanak Community Centre for the elderly and disabled Sikhs. He also applied for and received National Lottery funding to establish the school clubs and employment workshops. The after school club was recognised as the most successful in the region by BBC East Midlands Today.
Mr. Drad suffered a heart attack in the year 2000 which really made him take stock of his outlook on life. Recognising the valuable contribution of British Heart Foundation{BHF} he set out to inform and educate the community as to the benefits of a healthier heart. This has culminated recently with a national advertising campaign where he is the face of the BHF as a case study. being seen on their website, DVDs. booklets and You Tube.
His unique approach and language skills have allowed him cascade core messages from the BHF directly to elderly Sikhs who otherwise would have been unaware of the importance of the work being undertaken to reduce poor heart health and the strain it puts upon the NHS. He has spent countless hours touring the county, unpaid to encourage a healthier lifestyle for the elderly, whatever their background.
In 2018 he received an Outstanding Achievement award for his work with the BHF and was invited to attend as a guest at their annual reception at the House of Lords in honour of those who have gone that extra mile in support. He has also recognised the importance of spiritual faith and has trained as a Chaplin. He now offers out of hours support with University Hospitals of Leicester and is warmly welcomed as somebody who offers spiritual, cultural and religious guidance and support and support for patients in palliative care at the local Hospice, Leicestershire Organisation for the Relief of Suffering LOROS.
He is a weekly visitor to HM Prison Service, where he offers support as a chaplain to prisoners and staff. Rehabilitated prisoners have approached him after their release and thanked him for his support and stated how he showed them the approach and direction necessary to lead a crime free and normal lifestyle. He also acts as a chaplain Leicestershire Police and Fire Rescue services and was recognised by the Police and Crime Commissioner as a valuable asset for officers. He is also an honorary member of the Leicester Council of Faiths, a body set up promote understanding, peace and harmony within the diverse community of Leicester. All these roles are unpaid. He is an inspiration to many people, an outstanding member of the community and he is well respected in all aspects of life.
