Luton’s Sikh Soup Kitchen celebrated its one year celebrations on Sunday (November 20).
Based outside the town hall on a Sunday evening, it initially served 100 hot meals in an hour – but the cost of living crisis has seen this rise dramatically to 150 in half the time.
Spokesman Ashwinder Singh said: “The event went very well! We enjoyed the company of the Luton Mayor Sameera Saleem, and she helped us in packing the food boxes. She spoke to the volunteers and our young volunteers were very happy to talk to her.
“We would like to thank the Luton community for their continued support over the last years. Also a special thanks to Vauxhall Luton, Sainsbury Harpenden, Gail’s Bakery and Signature Flatbread factory for their generous donation.”
Photographer Tony Margiocchi, who captured these shots, said: “When Mayor Sameera Saleem arrived she put on gloves and mucked in, helping with filling the tubs and packing them. Several Sikhs spoke highly of her father, who was also a Mayor of Luton, with two women stating that he was a lovely man and work colleague at the Vauxhall works for many years.
"On arrival there were around 20 Sikhs filling bags and it was like a fast moving, and well practiced production line. Leading away from the gazebo where the food was being parcelled up was a long queue of people of different nationalities. I felt very moved, I have known these Sikhs at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara for a few years now, but to see them on the streets helping people was amazing.”
If you’d like to view the full range of photographs from the event, you can visit Tony’s website.
