Nishkam Healthcare Trust honoured with the 2025 King’s Award for Voluntary Service – The MBE for Volunteer Groups
Nishkam Healthcare Trust (NHT), based at 21-23 Soho Road, Handsworth, is a beacon of compassion and community services. It has received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2025, the highest accolade given to volunteer-led groups across the United Kingdom, and equivalent to an MBE.
King’s Award emblem
This prestigious award recognises over a decade of selfless, values-led healthcare service by Nishkam volunteers who have dedicated their skills, time, and resources to improving health and wellbeing for individuals and families from all backgrounds and faiths. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 14 doctors - alongside a team of 160 volunteers - worked over 10,000 hours, delivering over 50,000 vaccines for the community.
NHT was envisioned by Bhai Sahib (Prof) Mohinder Singh OBE KSG, and created by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ). NHT embodies the Sikh principle of Nishkam Sewa - selfless service for the welfare of humanity. Using the concept of kar sewa (through voluntary donations, self-help and community participation), GNNSJ volunteers restored and made fit for purpose an 1880 Victorian building into fully operational medical centre. Its services span two healthy living pharmacies, and a volunteer-run dental service which operates on a ‘pay what you can afford’ basis. There is also a Mental and Emotional Wellbeing Service, which has supported over 500 service users since 2021, achieving more than a 50% improvement in depression and anxiety scores. Its pioneering Start of Life Care initiative, supports mothers and fathers through pregnancy and early parenthood, nurturing good health and empowering them to take on the responsibilities through a values-based approach. The team also regularly offer cardiovascular health screening and patient education, which are pivotal to help reduce some of the health inequalities locally.
“This award is a tribute to every volunteer, clinician, and supporter who has given selflessly to help others. From pharmacists to counsellors, dentists to midwives, our volunteers embody love in action. Their work reflects our shared belief that health is not just the absence of illness, it includes the presence of sacrifice, care, compassion, and community participation.”
The services delivered by the Healthcare Trust exemplify Nishkam’s holistic and faith-inspired person-centric approach, with emphasis on early disease prevention, and on seamlessly addressing spiritual, health and social care needs in an organic community setting.
“Guru Nanak Dev Ji teaches us that the light of the Divine dwells in every being. Thus, as Sikhs we are mandated to go beyond ourselves to serve all of humanity as our kith and kin. Nishkam Healthcare Trust was born from this teaching: that through selfless Nishkam Sewa, we can help uplift humanity, heal communities, and promote harmony through compassion. We are honoured to receive this award and would like to thank His Majesty The King, the West Midlands Lieutenancy, and the wider awards team for their kind acknowledgement of our humble Nishkam community.”
The work emerging from Nishkam Healthcare Trust is strongly aligned with the NHS 10-year plan, with emphasis on early prevention, and delivering care in the community. The Nishkam Healthcare Centre was built by volunteers and offers a bespoke state-of-the art facility to deliver further healthcare in the heart of a bustling community. The team is committed to collaborating with healthcare stakeholders to improve care for all in this neighbourhood. Through volunteering, for every £1 invested, the output is significantly more.
“Volunteering at Nishkam is more than giving time, it’s about giving of yourself. Every patient I meet reminds me that kindness and compassion can heal in ways medicine alone cannot. The friendships, learning, and love we share are life-changing.”
Patients frequently praise the dedication of staff and volunteers. One recent service user described the Centre as offering “a level of personalised service focused on individual wellbeing that is unparalleled,” and expressed gratitude for the “support and dedication provided by the Centre.”
“We dedicate this honour to our trustees, staff, professional volunteers, and community members who have walked with us on this sacred path. This award belongs to them — and to every person who believes in the power of selfless service.”
Nishkam Healthcare Trust continues to expand its mission to make healthcare more humane, holistic, and inclusive, guided by the belief that when we serve others, we serve the Creator.