Sikhs from the Newcastle region have had to travel to Sydney for important religious events and births, deaths, and marriages. Sikh Sangat Charitable Association Newcastle was founded in November 2020 to address the many issues faced by the Sikh community in the Newcastle region. It was registered as a charitable organization in April 2021.
Initially, the association started by hosting weekly Sikh congregations (Sangat). Later, when the Sangat started to grow and it was becoming hard to accommodate the Sangat, the organization felt the need to have a designated place where it could continue its activities. Then we begin looking for a place that would be central to the Sikh community. With the help of the Sikh community, the land was bought in Rutherford to construct a Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship). The aim of our organization is to serve the Sikh community and the community at large. We aim to provide a platform where the Sikh religion can flourish and propagate. The organization will always aim to act altruistically and work towards the enhancement of society as per the Sikh principle of ‘There being One father and all being His children.
In April this year, we coordinated with Sikh Volunteers Australia (a Victoria-based organization that provides free food for the homeless and during times of emergency). As part of the collaboration, our organization provided facilities and coordinated to distribute free meals twice a day and other essential items to the flood-affected region in Taree. The organization will seek to continue working on projects like these especially in the local community and when and/or where there is a greater need. During this flood period, our organization also coordinated with Khalsa Aid volunteers to deliver washing machines in the flood-affected areas around Taree.