29 Sept 2023

Sheffield Hospitals Charity are the grateful recipients of a recent £18,200 donation from Premier Store Owner, Mandeep Singh, and the Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Sikh Temple, thanks to the mammoth combined generosity of both communities.

Beginning with a humble collection pot in Singh’s Premier store, the fundraising drive moved into a new gear when he brought members of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Sikh Temple on board, and together they arranged a charity football match, held at Sheffield United’s iconic Bramall Lane in May.

With only a week’s notice after securing the match date to bring players, match officials, supporters and kits together, organisers rallied local teams from Premier and the temple. The ‘Punjab Kings’ and the ‘Sheffield Lions’ players were charged £20 per person for the once in a lifetime chance to battle it out on Sheffield United’s official pitch.

After an entertaining game between the two local teams, the score was 5-1 to Punjab Kings at the final whistle. Total funds generated overshot the original £2000 target, reaching an astounding total of £18,200, which included two generous private donations.  

Chief event organiser, Mandeep Singh, explained how football has been a driving force for creating connections between the team at Singh’s Premier store and within their Sikh community. He said:

“The day was amazing because of the people who came together, from all walks of life, to raise money at a beautiful venue. People from different nationalities were playing a sport that is universally loved - all in aid of a brilliant charity that supports healthcare in Sheffield.”

The funds raised will be used to support Sheffield’s hospitals, as well as medical research in the field of Endoscopy. Beth Crackles, Chief Executive at Sheffield Hospitals Charity, said:

“We are hugely grateful to Mandeep Singh, Premier Stores, and Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Sikh Temple for their incredible support for Sheffield Hospitals Charity. Community fundraising events like these have the power to bring communities together in aid of vital causes – and our local hospitals provide a front-line service that everyone can get behind. The funds raised will be life-changing both on hospitals wards and in future endoscopy research. It sounds like the game at Bramall Lane will be a treasured memory for the players and supporters involved too.”