Kind-hearted members of Walsall’s Sikh community have handed over a donation of £15,000 to Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

The cheque was handed over to the trust’s Fundraising Manager Georgie Westley by Priest Giani Amar Singh at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in West Bromwich Street, Caldmore.

He explained that the donation was specifically to help the COVID-19 NHS effort in any way that was suitable.

Trustee Balbir Singh said: “We wish to show our appreciation to the NHS which has worked so hard during this emergency and we want to also show our support for our local Walsall Manor Hospital.”

General Secretary Naranjan Singh Sarai added that the Sikh community across Walsall had contributed to the donation as its way of recognising that NHS staff were caring for all communities during the pandemic.

“We’re sure that others feel the same sense of gratitude and want to do something to show this,” he said.

Fundraising Manager Georgie Westley and David Powell, Matron Lead for Quality for the trust attended the temple to collect the cheque.

Georgie said: “This is such a generous donation and our staff are extremely touched by the support and appreciation that our communities in Walsall are showing to them at this challenging time.

“We will work with staff to identify the best way this donation can be used, honouring people’s wishes for it to be used to help the COVID-19 NHS effort.”