Khalsa Aid Australia has begun its annual Blood Donation Drive. Across Australia, Khalsa Aid is encouraging volunteers and supporters to give blood to help those in need. In Australia, 1 in 3 people will need blood or blood products in their lifetime, but only 3% of Australians give blood.

Khalsa Aid’s Blood Donation Drive is dedicated to two important events in the Sikh Calendar: Vaisakhi, the Birth of the Khalsa and Remembering the 1984 Sikh Genocide.

In June, Khalsa Aid Australia is targeting 84 blood or plasma donations in each Australian state to commemorate those who lost their lives during the 1984 Sikh Genocide.

Giving blood is a simple five-step process:

1. Create an account at donateblood.com.au
2. Login & select ‘My Team’ from the Teams Menu
3. Search ‘Khalsa Aid’ and click on submit
4. Select ‘Make Appointment’ from the Appointment Menu
5. Book your blood donation at your nearest blood donation centre

Here are four key facts about Khalsa Aid Australia’s Blood Donation Drive:

1. In Australia, one blood donation is needed every 24 seconds.
2. A single blood donation can save up to 3 lives.
3. Since January 2020, Khalsa Aid’s Blood Donation Drive has helped save over 5000 lives.
4. Khalsa Aid is working with Red Cross Australia to reach a goal of 1800 blood donations by 30th June 2023. Find out more here: Lifeblood challenges (donateblood.com.au)

To learn more about the Blood Donation Drive, follow Khalsa Aid Australia on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Be a part of team Khalsa Aid and give blood today – thank you.

Join us for an unforgettable experience by hiking Mount Snowdon on Saturday, 8th July 2023

In the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, you will commence your trek along the Llanberis Path. This great challenge will see you and fellow fundraisers hiking to the Snowdon summit, enjoying spectacular views along the way! 

This challenge will test your physical and mental limits, but you will be rewarded by knowing that all your fundraising will go towards supporting our global projects. 

On return, celebrate your achievement with delicious food, snacks and drinks served by our Langar Aid team. You will be awarded a medal to commemorate your achievement and plenty of opportunity to take pictures with the Khalsa Aid team, volunteers and fellow hikers.

In the past year, the UK has seen an unprecedented rise in living costs that have left many unable to afford to pay for daily necessities. According to the Office for National Statistics, 94% of adults in Great Britain reported an increase in their cost of living from January-February 2023.¹ From this low-income households were reported to spend a larger proportion than average on energy and food, so were more affected by price increases.

Many food bank charities have also seen an increase in demand; the Trussell Trust reported that in April-September 2022 they provided almost 1.3 million emergency food parcels – an increase of more than 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels.²

Khalsa Aid’s outreach program, Langar Aid, is a long-term relief project providing aid to the homeless, vulnerable, and those facing poverty in the UK. Our team, based in Coventry, has been helping tackle the cost-of-living crisis with more families and individuals reaching out to Langar Aid for support.

Currently, our Langar Aid volunteers serve hot meals 6 days a week. In addition, the teams deliver 300 large food parcels to local schools, community groups, and Ukrainian refugees. Over 18,000 meals are distributed from Langar Aid House across the West Midlands on a weekly basis, preventing hundreds of families from going hungry.

“The Cost of Living Crisis has plunged people into a situation where they have to choose between paying the bills or eating. This is even more devastating when you realise young children are going hungry because of this. We’ve had lots of people tell us that Langar Aid has become a lifeline in the community because people now have access to at least one hot meal a day.” – Avtar Kaur, Langar Aid Project Manager.

Langar Aid’s extraordinary efforts were showcased in a short film, “Feeding Humanity One Meal at a Time.” The team’s inspiring work was recognised when they won the People’s Choice Award at the Charity Film Awards on 21 ^st March 2023. The film highlights the struggles of the homeless and those facing food insecurity in the UK. The film also highlights the selfless acts of kindness and generosity by Langar Aid volunteers who are determined to make a difference in the lives of others.

The Charity Film Awards is an annual event that recognises and rewards outstanding contributions to charity filmmaking. Being a winner in the awards demonstrates Langar Aid's impact on the lives of those we serve and the importance of telling their story.

“We are thrilled to have our short documentary recognised by The Smiley Charity Film Awards,” said Ravinder Singh, the CEO of Khalsa Aid. “This film is a testament to the tireless efforts of our volunteers and the critical role they play in supporting those in need. We hope it will inspire others to participate and make a difference in their communities.”

Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support of Khalsa Aid. If you want to learn more about Langar Aid, click here.

[1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9428/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Office%20for%20National%20Statistics%2C%2094%25,biggest%20fall%20since%20comparable%20records%20began%20in%201956.

[2] https://www.trusselltrust.org/2022/11/10/almost-1-3-million-emergency-parcels-provided-to-people-across-uk-experiencing-hunger-over-past-six-months-as-cost-of-living-emergency-drives-tsunami-of-need-to-food-banks/

4^th May 2023 Latest Statement: Turkey Earthquake

As of May 2023, Khalsa Aid's volunteers are still on the ground in Turkey, providing essential aid relief to those impacted by the devastating earthquake.

In the coming weeks, Khalsa Aid is heading into its final stage of distribution and will help local organisations by providing essential aid. For the latest updates on our relief efforts in Turkey, follow Khalsa Aid on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

We want to thank all our supporters for your continued support.

April 2023 Update

Volunteers were initially giving hot meals to those displaced by the earthquake. However, as the direct aftermath of the earthquake began to settle, the type of aid needed began to change. As such, Khalsa Aid expanded its operations and focused on filling the gaps in terms of the type of aid required by distributing essential WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) items such as dignitary packs, along with continuing to provide food packs and blankets.

Volunteers have provided 2000+ food packs, 8000+ blankets, 10,000+ dignity packs and hygiene kits, 19,000+ hot meals, and over 133,000 water bottles.

March 2023 Update

Volunteers bought toys for Children's Day in İslâhiye and continued distributing food and water in Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep with the Iqra Charity. A second team of Volunteers collaborated with a local charity, Yardimeli Charity, to deliver food and water in Şanlıurfa as well as to help the people affected by the flood.

Distribution of 400 food packs continued with BCF in Adıyaman's camps and 100 to Gaziantep and Altar. Khalsa Aid also worked with Iqra to distribute 200 food packs in the villages around İslâhiye where people have been displaced.

Towards the end of March, Khalsa Aid volunteers distributed thousands of water bottles (2000+), hygiene kits (2000+) and dignity packs (3000+) in various areas including Şanlıurfa, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman Afad Camps, and Gaziantep.

Start of Aid Relief - February 2023

Khalsa Aid International mobilised a global response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Turkey. The first response was from the Khalsa Aid Iraq team, dispatched on the ground in Turkey within 24 hours of the earthquake to carry out assessments and deliver emergency support. A truckload of 3,500 blankets accompanied the team for distribution, and the team also set up the initial hot meals service.

Khalsa Aid CEO Ravi Singh arrived in Turkey to support the operational aid efforts. Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), a non-profit NGO based in the Kurdistan Region-Iraq, has supported Khalsa Aid in setting up Langar (community kitchen) for those displaced in Şanlıurfa and İslâhiye. Our teams were based in Şanlıurfa and İslâhiye and served 3000 hot meals daily.

Special Thanks

The President of Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, thanked Khalsa Aid for the work in Turkey during a visit to the area. We again thank British Airways for supporting Khalsa Aid to transport aid. The cargo allocated was four tonnes of water survival boxes (200 boxes), including water purification equipment, shelter and survival tools, hygiene supplies, and food/drink supplies. These have been donated for free by Watersurvivalbox Ltd.

Thank you to Lotus Flower for their incredible support and for working with Khalsa Aid to pack nearly 2,000 more winter coats, jackets, and socks for children impacted by the earthquake. Sweets were placed in the pockets as a tiny surprise. We thank both Sartaaj Foundation and Jeevan's Gift Foundation (UK) for donating to our earthquake relief efforts.

Our International Student Welfare Project will be providing knowledge, information and support so that those studying in the UK, and their dependents, will feel more integrated into the community and can access any help they require. International students provide valuable resources for companies and this project will aim to reduce any obstacles to their success.

Khalsa Aid International will facilitate a range of events aimed at covering the needs of International Students. Over recent times, we have received reports ranging from loneliness and lack of community to exploitation and grooming. We hope that by giving the students more information about life in the UK and enabling them to make connections with others in a similar position, they can avoid some of the difficulties others have faced.

We are finding that female students are at greater risk of loneliness and exploitation and therefore, in need of more support. For this reason, our first event will be a social gathering for female students so they can build a network within the community.

Following on from this we will have events across the UK, for all students, male and female, to provide information that will help the students with their day-to-day lives and their safety, as well as help them plan for the future. The speakers will come from a range of fields, such as police, lawyers, visa specialists, mental health experts and student services. The information they receive will enable the students to get the help they need from the correct places and reduce the risk of exploitation.

Each attendee must have an individual ticket. There is no charge for the tickets, but they are necessary for administration purposes.

Choose the event you wish to attend from the list below to book your ticket. We will be adding more events in locations around the UK soon so keep an eye on Khalsa Aid International’s social media for updates.

Please be aware that Khalsa Aid International will not be able to provide financial assistance but can give information to help find further help in the community.

For further information please email uk.studentsupport@khlasaaid.org

Khalsa Aid is committed to providing assistance and support to those in need, especially during times of crisis. That is why we were deeply concerned to hear about the unbearable pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, which is expected to continue until Easter. As reported by the British Medical Association, waiting times for Accident & Emergency (A&E) in England are now at their highest level since records began, with over 4 million people waiting more than 4 hours for treatment.

In response to this crisis, Khalsa Aid has been delivering refreshing snacks and drinks to A&E departments across numerous London hospitals on a daily basis since 22nd December 2022. We wanted to do our part to help ease the distress caused to both patients and staff, who are working under extremely challenging circumstances.

Our CEO, Ravinder Singh, had this to say about the programme: "If your A&E department needs our support during this hectic and chaotic period, please reach out to us. We are happy to support our frontline workers and those patients who are waiting hours to be treated. Our NHS staff are the real heroes."

We were humbled to receive tremendous positive feedback within a few days of the programme launching. An example below is from Lucy Tebbit, a healthcare worker at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, who said, "We are so very grateful. I have experienced you all coming round and I know both the staff and patients have been very grateful. We are working in very challenging times and your generosity has made days a little easier. Thank you." This was one of many wonderful messages we received from both staff and patients.

Many of the patients our volunteers have spoken to have been waiting for up to nine hours and have not had any food or drink in that time, either because the cafes are closed, the hospital vending machine is not working or out of stock, or they are simply afraid to miss their turn in the waiting list.

We are committed to continuing our efforts to support the NHS and its dedicated staff as they work to provide essential care to those in need.

If you know of an A&E department that could use our support, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@khalsaaid.org.