Co-Founder Late Gurdeep Singh
16th Sept 1962 – 13th Dec 2021
An exemplary Sikh, an unsung hero, and a shining beacon of the Sikh community whose remarkable life was full of colour, who led by example and made many friends everywhere.
Gurdeep Singh was born in Pragpur, Punjab, India to Ajit Singh and Surjit Kaur, and the second of 4 children. He came to the UK in 1964 and grew up in Hitchin. He married Kalvinder Kaur in 1988 and has 2 children and 3 granddaughters.
He studied Telecommunications Engineering at Kingston Polytechnic and graduated in 1984. He further trained at GEC Plessey Telecommunications in the telephone exchange industry. He went on to have a very successful professional career in telecommunications starting at Mercury Communications in 1989 and then moving on to Nortel Networks. He then became a consultant at Tekmark Global Solutions where he worked for ten years, retiring in 2014.
Gurdeep Singh became involved with ROKO cancer where he organised his own camp, and as Trustee of ROKO Cancer, continued to support camps all over India.
Gurdeep Singh Ji, you will be deeply missed by us all.
Gurdeep Singh was always active in the local community and became the General Secretary at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Hitchin. In his time as General Secretary, amongst many other things, he introduced transportation for the elderly to the Gurdwara, the opening of a gym and lectures on the Sikh way of life to school children. In 2011, he co-founded the Khanda Poppy Project and created the Khanda poppy lapel pin.
Due to the success of his weekly programme Sikh Spectrum on Sikh Channel, he was invited to become the CEO of Sikh Channel in 2013 where he spearheaded new innovative initiatives and fundraising for humanitarian relief projects around the world.
SIKH CHANNEL
Gurdeep Singh co-founded Gurdwara Aid in 2019, an independent Sikh service set up to help Gurdwaras, and Sikh charities in the UK. Through Gurdwara Aid he was connecting Gurdwaras with the charity commission, supporting and advising Gurdwaras on governance, charity law, safeguarding training, elections, dispute resolution, gift aid and other Gurdwara issues. During the Covid lockdown, Gurdwara Aid ran weekly Gurdwara
webinars in keeping Gurdwaras abreast of Covid rules and providing resources such as a Gurdwara risk assessment template, organising over 40,000 pieces of free PPE for Gurdwaras and other faith centres, and awarding certificates to many Gurdwaras, other faith centres and individuals recognising their Covid voluntary efforts.
Gurdeep Singh’s passion for the uplift of Gurdwaras and the Sikh community shone through. His vision, kindness, integrity, and practical approach were truly inspirational. Gurdeep was a man with a big smile, and an even bigger heart, who made this world a better place.
