Updates on Mata Sahib Kaur Sikh Academy

Guru Roop Saad Sangat Jeeo, WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa, WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh!

As you may be aware that towards the end of last year, a group of Sikhs from across the country were in negotiations with the current legal owner of the premises at which the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Sikh Academy is located.  With Maharajs Beant Kirpa they have now managed to agree a financial package to help save and safeguard the future of the academy.  As previously disclosed an initial £100k has been agreed to exchange contracts ASAP, and a further borrowing on the premises is currently being negotiated via a number of banks for completion of the contracts set for a period of within 12 months.

once the legal owner had made it clear in mid Aug 2011that it was not viable for him to continue to support the academy (as was the case previously), in the first week of Sep 2011, in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj, Sant Baba Ranjit Singh Jee Dhandriawale blessed the whole Sangat with a divan at the academy(even though they were very ill at the time) in which they urged all the Sangat in the UK & Europe, to help financially in order to raise the funds required to make sure that the Mata Sahib Kaur Sikh Academy was not forced to close and be able to continue to carry on the excellent work with our children (the Panths children) which has been more than evident across the UK over the last few years.

A series of measures were to be introduced as outlined towards the end of last year, once again to ensure that all wishes of the Saad Sangat be fulfilled with Maharajs Kirpa. one of these was the setting up of a transparent management structure for the academy, on the 18th Dec 2011,(whilst Commemorating 3yrs of the academy) in the presence of Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee  Maharaj, an appeal was made to all the Saad Sangat to come forward and help serve in a new Seva team(management team) that will be in place from Jan 2012 for a period of 12months with the sir-jog of the Saad Sangat to overlook all the Seva of the academy on a day to day basis. With Maharajs Kirpa a 19 member Seva team has now been established in the academy.  They are all local members of the Saad Sangat (a mix of old & young and men & women).   All major areas of Seva (Darbar sahib/Langar/building/Kids Camps/IT/Finance) have now been covered, but new volunteers are always welcome.

Another major priority for the Saad Sangat has always been the children’s nursery that had been one of the original goals of the academy. Once again with Maharaj’s  Kirpa the Sevadaars who are overlooking this project have announced that a fully operational children’s nursery will be open as of Feb 2012( the inauguration will be taking place during a major divan on Sunday 5th Feb – details of which will be advertised in the next couple of days).  It is important to add that the team behind the nursery project are independent businessmen whose families are not really linked to the academy, they have over four very successful nurseries (Ofsted inspectors have given outstanding on 2 places) currently running and are willing to put all their joint expertise (on a Seva basis) behind this project ensuring that it is a success, all on the basis that they are 100% behind the fundamentals of the academy – our children’s future.  The projected income that will be generated by the nursery is substantial enough to not only to help the academy to become self-sufficient (without turning to the Sangat via collections) but also in future years to help repay the debt that will be raised against the premises.

It was announced during the divan back in Sep 2011 that the academy will be taking steps to move forward with the sir-jog of the Saad Sangat in order to create total transparency for all funding that is
required to safeguard the academies future. With great thanks to all the Saad Sangat worldwide an appeal, which started back in Feb. 2011, had raised a sum of just over £67,000 physically in the academy bank account up until Aug 2011.  After the situation regarding the future of the academy had become dire in mid Aug last year, a figure of £18,000 had to be sent to the owner’s bank instantly as a means of bank charges and new agreement associated fees. This left the total of around £49,000 at around Sep 2011. From this date until the present time the sum of £7,300 has been used towards building refurbishment (mainly kitchen/ladies toilets) and as a supplement towards the monthly running costs (the interest only payment to the bank is £4,100 per month alone, that is without utility bills and wages for Gyanies) of the academy. Presently the fund is held at £41,700 of which £17,000 approx has been allocated to the nursery project, including all the necessary buildings modifications and equipment costs that will be incurred for its official opening in Feb. 2012.

Thus a figure of just under £25,000 will be left in the collection fund for the academy. This in total will be all allocated towards the £100k required to exchange contracts on the academy premises with the owner ASAP.  All of the sums involved in the above breakdown of monies can be visibly seen via the academy bank account. All the monies that have been collected in these funds have only been possible because of the generous donations of the Saad Sangat (locally & worldwide) & Guru Maharajs Beant Kirpa. All monies that have come from program bookings, general golaks, direct debits, PayPal/bank transfers, Seva from parents, Seva of making & selling samosas, yoga classes, kids projects etc… have all directly been inputted into this collection fund. Once again without the total support of all the Saad Sangat and Guru Maharaj, none of this would have been possible and will never be.

Finally this is a heartfelt Baentee to all the Saad Sangat please dig deep for our true mothers (Mata Sahib Kaur Jee) own Asthaan and donate as much as you can (no matter how much) to help keep this dream alive.

Pull Chuk Maaf.

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa, WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh!

Mata Sahib Kaur Sikh Academy
8 Oaks Lane, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex IG2 7PL