Sikh father-daughter duo honoured in UK after their charity served over one million free meals in a year | Trending

A Sikh father and daughter in the UK have been honoured after their charity served more than one million free meals in 2025. Inderjit Jugdy and his daughter Avtar Kaur, founders of Langar Aid in Coventry, received the Good Citizen Award from Coventry City Council for their decade-long efforts to support people facing hunger and hardship.

A Sikh father and daughter received a UK civic award after their charity provided more than one million free meals in a year. ( Coventry City Council)According to a BBC report published on November 2, the initiative began in 2016 with just 30 meals a week, distributed outside the city's job centre. Nearly a decade later, the organisation provides more than 20,000 meals every week.

Langar Aid started as a small community project, with family members and friends preparing food at home for people in need.

The initiative was inspired by the Sikh tradition of langar, which involves serving free meals to everyone, regardless of religion, age or background.

Jugdy said they had never imagined their project would grow so significantly.

"When we started, we didn't think it would grow into such a massive project," he told the BBC.

Kaur explained that they wanted to extend the Sikh tradition of feeding people beyond religious institutions and into the wider community.

"So we follow that concept to help people in need," she said.

Langar Aid operates as part of Khalsa Aid International, a UK-based humanitarian charity supporting vulnerable communities irrespective of their religious or social backgrounds.

Jugdy, who turns 70 in November, said it was difficult to calculate the total number of meals distributed since the charity began. However, he confirmed that more than one million meals had been served in 2025 alone.

According to an official statement by Coventry City Council, Langar Aid serves meals five evenings a week, supplies food to schools and helps refugee families settle into the community.

The organisation has also supported interfaith initiatives, including a New Year's Day community meal organised in partnership with Coventry Cathedral.

Beyond Coventry, Jugdy has participated in humanitarian missions in Nigeria, Malawi, India and Morocco, while Kaur has supported relief operations in Turkey and Gaza.

Coventry's Lord Mayor, Councillor Roger Bailey, praised their contribution, saying they had made a lasting difference to people's lives.

He said their work reflected "the very best of Coventry's values of kindness, inclusion and community spirit."

Their efforts have also received recognition through the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the High Sheriff Award of Merit and the West Midlands Police Award for Community Work.

Mahipal Singh Chouhan is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital, with nearly five years of experience in digital journalism and content production. He primarily covers offbeat, trending and human-interest stories, with a focus on emerging social media trends, online conversations and real-world incidents that capture public attention. At Hindustan Times, Mahipal works on identifying and developing fast-moving digital stories, adding context and journalistic perspective to viral moments while maintaining accuracy, clarity and readability for online audiences. Before joining Hindustan Times Digital, he was associated with DNA India, where he gained experience in newsroom workflows and digital storytelling. He holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi. Beyond journalism, he has a keen interest in history and sports and enjoys expanding his general knowledge.Read More