West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, accompanied by Roisin Lyons, Mayoral Advisor, visited Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ) and the wider Nishkam Campus on the 11th December 2025, to understand the vast investment of time, effort and money by the community through self-help and community participation.
outside the Gumbad Darbar.
Hosted by Bhai Sahib Prof Mohinder Singh OBE KSG, Chairman and Spiritual Leader of GNNSJ, the visit highlighted the significant spiritual, social, educational, economic and interfaith contributions of the Nishkam Group of Organisations, as well as the barriers currently hindering their multi-million-pound regeneration efforts. The visit highlighted frustrations with ongoing locality regeneration challenges and positively focussed on opportunities for long-term collaboration across the region. Bhai Sahib Ji was accompanied by some of the Nishkam campus leadership team, including Professor Upkar Pardesi OBE, Harpal Singh, Shuranjeet Singh, Kiran Kaur and Amrick Singh.
The Mayor was welcomed by the leadership team before paying obeisance to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the Main Darbar Sahib and then visited the Gumbad Darbar Sahib (Dome Darbar – an eloquent introduction of Sikh architecture, where a 30-ton reinforced concrete dome was created for the first time in Europe). The host team shared the organisation’s long history of spiritual regeneration, interfaith work, its global service ethos, the central role of values, and community cohesion in its mission.
Granth Sahib Ji.
The meeting continued with Langar (sharing a blessed vegetarian meal) after which updates on Nishkam Group’s local and global endeavours were discussed.
After the meeting Bhai Sahib Ji, commented, “It was a privilege and honour to meet Richard and to share with him all that we have humbly managed to achieve. The meeting was long overdue and provided an opportunity for the coming together of hearts and minds, a priceless opportunity. It was good that Richard was able to see first-hand what we do and understand our vision, so we understood each other’s priorities. We have made good progress today and welcome the opportunities for further collaboration”.
During the visit, the Mayor learned about the innovative physical inner-city regeneration using an army of volunteers, in particular the discussion was about the exciting development of an eyesore, derelict, neglected site that was blighting the local area for over 20 years. He saw first-hand, the ongoing concerns about safeguarding, development hindrances, and challenges. It was evident that there was an urgent need for coordinated support to progress the area’s transformation. A detailed discussion followed covering, a proposed partnership with the Church of England to deliver social family housing and sheltered accommodation. The visitors saw an Area Masterplan, jointly producing a long-term vision for an integrated, sustainable family-friendly neighbourhood in the heart of the West Midlands envisioned by GNNSJ & Church of England. The Nishkam team also shared their vision for skills development, employment-ready and wellbeing programmes designed to create a family-focused, values-led, sustainable community.
The Nishkam team emphasised the need for:
- Visionary leadership.
- Strengthened partnership with WMCA and Mayoral office.
- Long-term investment and sustainability planning as opposed to short-termism.
- Regeneration that conducive to the area and in keeping with local community needs.
- A holistic model of community building rooted in health, education, social wellbeing,
employment founded on values and virtues. - Selfless volunteering.
- Discharging civic responsibilities.
Mayor Richard Parker expressed appreciation for GNNSJ’s leadership role in the region,
acknowledging the contribution to community cohesion, faith-based civic action, and place-based
regeneration. He was impressed with what was being done by a faith-based anchor organisation for
the all the locality and was keen to identify synergistic opportunities. He assured the team of his
commitment to support collaboration and partnership working where he could.
The visit concluded with both parties agreeing on next steps to continue dialogue, explore
development pathways, better sharing of information and strengthen strategic collaboration.
Masterplan done by all the Nishkam Team.
ENDS
Nishkam Media Centre 