Meetings:
2nd December 2013 Representatives of the Sikh Council UK met with representatives of the Health & Safety Executive to discuss proposed legislation to correct the anomaly on requirement for turban wearing Sikhs to wear safety helmets in workplaces.
6th December 2013 The Sikh Council UK attended a visit by the Secretary of State forEducation, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP to Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton and to Anand Primary School.
13th December 2013 meeting at Singh Sabha Gurdwara Barking in relation to the Voluntary
Return Scheme 14th December 2013 Executive Committee Meeting held at Sikh Missionary Society Southall
21st December 2013 Sikh Council UK Strategy & Policy Group meeting at Coventry.
Correspondence:
Correspondence with Rt Hon Vince Cable MP and Mike Penning MP in relation to correcting the the anomaly on requirement for turban wearing Sikhs to wear safety helmets in workplaces.
Interfaith work:
The Sikh Council sponsored a multi-faith calendar developed by the London Faiths Forum
Casework:
Sikh Council UK was contacted by the General Pharmaceutical Council regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises in England Scotland and Wales. Registrants and witnesses required to attend the FtP committee hearings are required to provide evidence under oath or affirmation. To enable people of faith to do this they keep sacred text on the premises, including Adi Granth Sahib Ji. In order to ensure that they treat these sacred texts appropriately and with respect they asked for our advice. At this point we made them aware of the strict protocol that needs to be observed in the handling and storing of the Adi Granth Sahib Ji which would be very similar if not the same as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Holy Scriptures within Gurdwaras (Sikh place of worship). We offered to remove Adi Granth Sahib Ji from their premises and replace these with a Gutka Sahib (extracts of Sri Guru Granth Sahib) to which they agreed. Mankamal Singh Executive Member of Sikh Council from London agreed to take on this sewa along with other Singh sewadars and respectfully brought back the 2 Senchis of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and replaced with a Gutka Sahib. They showed the Manager of HR the correct protocol and invited the team to visit the Gurdwara which will be arranged for January 2014
