Volunteers from Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick have been recognised for the way they look after the Lions of the Great War statue site.
The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Syeda Khatun MBE welcomed representatives from the Gurdwara to the Mayor’s Parlour this week to congratulate them on their long-standing Green Flag Community Award.
Lions of the Great War became the first full statue of a South Asian First World War soldier in the UK when it was unveiled in November 2018 – 100 years on from the end of the First World War.
The Gurdwara commissioned Luke Perry to create the 10-foot high bronze statue to honour the sacrifices made by South Asian service personnel of all faiths from the Indian subcontinent who fought for Britain in the Great War and other conflicts. Millions of men from the Indian subcontinent fought in the two world wars, serving in the British Indian Army. Most never visited the country they were fighting for, yet many sacrificed their lives on the battlefield or afterwards.
Back in 2018, Sandwell Council worked with the Gurdwara to create a paved public space with seating and lighting as well as improving an adjoining green space.
The site gained its Green Flag Community Award status in 2020, which it has retained each year since, and volunteers from the Gurdwara help to keep it clean and tidy.
Luke Perry recently gave the Sikh solider statue a wax recoating, planned work to help protect it for the future, which timed just ahead of the 110th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.
Kuldeep Singh Deol, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, said: “The Lions of the Great War statue is a beautiful memorial, and we are fortunate to have it at Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick.
“On behalf of the congregation and the management committee, I extend our heartfelt thanks to Luke Perry and Sandwell Council for their incredible support.
“We are very proud to have recently received the Green Flag Award for 2024/25. This achievement is the result of a collaborative effort between Sandwell Council and Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick.
“It was an honour for the voluntary work carried by Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick to be formally recognised during our visit to the Mayor’s Parlour where we met the Mayor, Council Leader and Cabinet Members.”
The Mayor, Councillor Syeda Khatun MBE, said: “We would like to thank all the volunteers who work hard to look after this beautifully maintained site which provides such a poignant reminder of the sacrifices that people from South Asia and across the Commonwealth made for our country during the First World War and other conflicts.
“We are really pleased to see this memorial site being so well looked after and it was lovely to meet representatives from Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick to thank them personally for their ongoing efforts.”
Representatives of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, left to right, Bhervinder Singh (General Secretary), Kuldeep Singh Deol (President), Malkit Singh (Vice President), Baldev Singh (Congregation Member), with Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Mayor Councillor Syeda Khatun MBE, Council Leader Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Councillor Keith Allcock and, back right, Greenspaces Project Manager Sunish Patel