"it really has surprised us and inspired us to carry on."
A Sikh father and daughter whose charity served more than a million meals in 2025 have been honoured for transforming a small community food project into a service supporting thousands of people every week.
Inderjit Jugdy and Avtar Kaur, founders of Langar Aid in Coventry, received the Good Citizen Award from Coventry City Council in recognition of their work helping people facing hardship.
The charity was established in 2016, initially serving meals outside the city’s job centre.
Ten years on, inspired by the Sikh tradition of langar, a free communal meal open to everyone regardless of faith or background, the organisation now provides more than 20,000 meals every week.
Inderjit said: “When we started, we didn’t think it would grow into such a massive project, but it really has surprised us and inspired us to carry on.”
Langar Aid is part of Khalsa Aid International, a humanitarian organisation providing support to vulnerable people regardless of their faith, background or circumstances.
Avtar said bringing the Sikh tradition of langar into the wider community was a natural extension of the values she and her father were raised with:
“Every Sikh temple around the world has a langar where anyone can go in, regardless of their religion, age or background, and have a free meal.
“So we follow that concept to help people in need.”
The charity began with friends and family preparing meals at home. It has grown into a large operation supporting people across Coventry.
But despite the expansion, the underlying mission remains the same.
Avtar said: “At its heart, the motivation has always remained the same, to serve humanity with compassion, dignity and no discrimination, offering not just food but a sense of care and human connection to those who need it most.”
Coventry’s Lord Mayor Roger Bailey presented the award and praised the pair for their commitment to helping people experiencing hardship and the lasting impact of their work.
He said: “For more than a decade they have devoted their time, energy and compassion to supporting people facing hardship, ensuring that thousands of residents have had access to food, support and a sense of belonging when they needed it most.”
Inderjit said it was difficult to calculate exactly how many meals Langar Aid had provided since its inception.
However, the charity served more than one million meals in the last year alone.
The Good Citizen Award recognises the contribution Inderjit and Avtar have made to their community, with Langar Aid continuing to provide practical support to people in need through the Sikh principle of selfless service.
