Sandeep Singh Daheley from Uxbridge was honoured with an MBE for his volunteering services to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

He set up DigiSangat, an online prayer initiative designed to help bereaved families during lockdown which acheived ten million prayers, including Mool Mantar being the Sikh statement of belief composed by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Singh Daheley said he was elated and overwhelmed when the initial email came, and when the list was revealed he received thousands of calls and messages.

He added that having any sort of title also comes with its responsibilities and he hopes he can represent the community well.  

His aim was to spread the message about selfless service and explained that you don’t need to be Sikh, religious or spiritual, you just have the want to help those who need it the most.

When restrictions are lifted, he will celebrate by holding a prayer for all of the congregation as a way of saying thank you. 

Singh Daheley said his family are his inspiration and they worked hard, came to the UK with nothing but built up a strong foundation and gave everything to their children. 

He added he has overcome his biggest personal challenge of losing over 26kg in weight in a two-year period, and he says it’s all about mind and determination. 

Singh Daheley added that the future plans are to mark Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday with an online Mass prayer in November.

He said: "In order to get through this we need to have faith and always try and be positive."

Singh Daheley has also volunteered for charity Langar Aid, cooking hot meals on a monthly basis for the homeless.