Become a member    |     Log in
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram

Advice services offer a lifeline to those in need

By Ajit Singh Ubhi

Advice services offer a lifeline to those in need and are an essential fabric of our society. Nishkam Civic Association is a faith-inspired organisation, located next to the Gurdwara that I have been attending for more than forty years. Our name itself draws on the essence of our Sikh faith. Nishkam means ‘to serve selflessly’ and that is a central tenet of the Sikh faith. We encourage everyone who works here – from our volunteers to our professional advice workers and other expert staff to go above and beyond to support others. 

An inclusive service 

Our work does not only reach the Sikh communities in our area – we are an inclusive service that reaches out to everyone that makes up our diverse and vibrant area of Birmingham. Over 80% of people who access our services are from the non-Sikh community. This fits in very well with our Sikh faith which is about the welfare and well-being of all: what we see is a person in need. We have over 168 different languages spoken within Handsworth and our staff can communicate in many of these. This means we can offer a highly personalised service – whatever challenge they are facing. 

I am proud of the person-centred approach we take here. We think very carefully about how people are treated while they are here: from the sight of our beautiful flower bed at the entrance to the building, to the warm welcome they receive at reception. It’s about putting people at the centre of our service.  

A beacon in troubled times 

Over 20 years we have worked hard to gain trust across our community, and we are now seen as an anchor – a beacon in troubled times. First of all it’s about creating stability for individuals and their families and ensuring they have access to the essentials: the housing, food, access to healthcare they need. It’s also about creating dignity so that we are helping people to become independent and ultimately thrive without the need to access our support. That’s where we can uplift people and give them the tools to flourish. 

We have seen huge success with our self-help workshops where people come and gain knowledge and understand how they can take more control over their lives. This can range from everything from language classes to digital literacy support. 

Funding crisis 

Despite the enormous positive impact of our work, we are facing a severe funding crisis which could see us having to severely cut the services we offer. And yet our work saves money for the public purse. For every person we can prevent becoming bankrupt, or homeless, or their family breaking down, we ensure those problems don’t end up putting further pressure on schools, the local authority and the NHS.  

Over the past two decades we have supported more than 68,000 people and achieved over £11 million pounds of positive outcomes for clients. That money then gets reinvested into local services, local shops and businesses so the work we do is a win-win from a social and economic perspective. Then multiply that across all the families and communities that those individuals interact with, and you can see at a macro-level the enormous impact of our work. 

I am passionate about the work we do and will keep fighting to ensure that our service can keep offering a life-line to people across our community. The advice sector is an essential part of our society. It’s about saying if you are about to fall, there is someone there to catch you.