Joyous celebration of the canal and nature for all Smethwick's communities on the eve of Vaisakhi

The day, part of the Canal & River Trust’s Community Roots Project, was filled with fun free activities for all ages including arts and crafts, kayaking, a bouncy castle, tug-of-war and talks about Vaisakhi by education charity Basics of Sikhi. Attendees were served Langar, a free vegetarian meal offered at gurdwaras and Sikh community events in the Sikh tradition of selfless service.

Vaisakhi, celebrated on 13 April, is a spring harvest festival that commemorates the formation of the Khalsa - the collective body of initiated Sikhs - by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in 1699.

The 5th April event also marked Guru Nanak Gurdwara’s ongoing partnership with the Canal & River Trust to maintain and beautify the stretch of the Birmingham Canal the gurdwara has adopted around the Tollhouse, Galton Bridge and Galton Valley Pumping Station.

Dozens of young people studying Punjabi classes at the gurdwara or who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh awards have been volunteering along the canal over the past couple of years to clear litter and tend plants and flower-beds. They are also maintaining flower boxes at Smethwick Rolfe Street station in a separate project with West Midlands Railway.

Seventeen-year-old Ekamjit Kaur has been deeply involved with activities at Guru Nanak Gurdwara since she came to the UK in 2018. Under the wing of Punjabi School Manager Kulbinder Kaur Gakhal, she has progressed from attending youth events to running the Kaur Youth girls group, taking girls aged 14-16 on litter clean-ups and planting sessions so they understand the importance of looking after the canal.

“I personally have done a lot of growth with the gurdwara, I became very thankful,” she said. “I’m very proud of having a local community that tries hard to plant trees.

“I try to be as eco-friendly as possible. Every time I hear news about the planet it’s quite devastating.

“As Sikhs we are taught to protect Mother Nature and prevent harm to it. We promise to keep a clean environment. At the gurdwara, we’ve tried to go digital as much as possible." 

Ekamjit said that the canal celebration “went wonderfully – the community very much enjoyed it. A lot of people asked questions and were very engaged in the arts and crafts and talks.

"The Canal & River Trust has been very forward doing youth events," she added.

Yasmin Kaur, a member of Kaur Youth, said she was proud to participate in projects to take care of the local community and the canal which also reflect Sikh values. "With our continued efforts, we hope to make the canal a welcoming place for all, where individuals can come and take a stroll," she said.

Lutfur Rahman, Community Roots Co-ordinator at the Canal & River Trust, said one woman attending the April 5 event said she had lived in Smethwick for 12 years, but it was her first time setting foot on the canal and she couldn’t believe how nice it was. “She is interested in getting involved in Community Roots project activities like the Let's Learn Photography course that we will be delivering in June,” Rahman said.

“We want people from local communities to come and enjoy our canals and take ownership of them. It's a beauty at their doorstep, which offers great benefits such as health and wellbeing as well".

President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick Kuldeep Singh Deol said: "Events like Vaisakhi by the Canal help connect the community, regardless of background, with nature, and remind us of the beauty and peace that exists even in the heart of a bustling city like Birmingham. We are grateful to the Canal & River Trust and their dedicated volunteers for partnering with us to make this day a memorable one.”

"It’s not just that we operate within the four walls of our gurdwara - we go out into the community and we do work.

"We want to work closer with the local community to spread messages of looking after our environment, and of togetherness".

Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick warmly welcomes people from all cultures and backgrounds to open air Vaisakhi celebrations on Smethwick High Street on Sunday, 20 April, with attractions including singing, a turban-tying competition, a fairground and stalls.