We Need Your Help to Create a Strong Voice for British Sikhs

The questionnaire (see below) for the British Sikh Report 2014 has now been launched!

The aim of the BSR is to ascertain the wants and needs of the British Sikh community. More information can be found at http://www.britishsikhreport.org/faqs/

The BSR 2013 was a resounding success, with its Parliamentary launch in June 2013 being reported in many major news outlets such as the BBC, the Huffington Post, OBV, and being syndicated as a story throughout India. A copy of the BSR 2013 can be viewed at http://www.britishsikhreport.org/british-sikh-report-download-2013/

The focus of the BSR 2014 is upon local issues such as policing, faith schools, public transport and leisure facilities. In the run up to the Local Elections in 2014, such information will prove to be beneficial to Local Government officials throughout the UK in determining what Sikhs want from their local resources.

In order to make sure that we have a fully reflective cross-section of the British Sikh community responding to the questionnaire, we would be delighted if your organisation could help to disseminate or raise awareness of the questionnaire to as many Sikhs and Sikh organisations as possible.

The questionnaire can be found at http://www.britishsikhreport.org/bsr-questionnaire-2014/

Together, we can help give a strong and distinct voice to British Sikhs.

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,

British Sikh Report Team
www.britishsikhreport.org

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"The British Sikh Report (BSR) seeks to identify the needs and wants of the Sikh population in the UK. The BSR is an annual report published each year that will form the basis for engagement with political and community leaders and help inspire Sikhs to get more involved in running and creating initiatives to cater for Sikhs in Britain."

Frequently Asked Questions

In order to give more clarity about the British Sikh Report we've put together a list of the most frequently asked questions. If for some reason your question isn't answered here, feel free to contact us.

1. Who produced the BSR Questionnaire?
It has been put together by a team of Sikh professionals from all walks of life in their 20s and 30s who believe that such an initiative is long overdue. The team includes civil servants, project managers, academics, lawyers, PR consultants, IT consultants, and directors of major corporations.

2. How many women are on the BSR Questionnaire team?
Following in the true spirit of Sikhi, there have been an equal number of men and women on the team from its inception.

3. How long did it take to formulate the BSR Questionnaire?
Collectively, the BSR Questionnaire team spent 350 hours in research and consultation with other bodies and organisations before putting together the Questionnaire, and testing of the Questionnaire. The bodies that were consulted during that time included universities, corporations, third sector organisations, interfaith bodies, and various Sikh groups.

4. What previous experience do the team behind the BSR Questionnaire have?
Having worked within various industries, the BSR Questionnaire team members have a diverse set of skills which have been brought together for this project. Previous projects that the various team members have led or been involved in include research for:

Local authorities
The Treasury Department
Department for Communities and Local Government
DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Metropolitan Police
The FA (Football Association),
LOCOG (the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games)
BBC
Major British and global corporations including BP, Accenture, E&Y, and PwC

5. Are the team behind the BSR Questionnaire a Jathabandi group?
No. The BSR Questionnaire team is a group of Sikh men and women from professional backgrounds who have come together to create the Questionnaire. It is a fully democratic group with each team member having an equal say within the team. The project is being run on a completely voluntary basis, with no member of the team being paid for their hard work and dedication.

6. What will the data be used for?
The BSR will be used as a strategic document for the benefit of the British Sikh community, both within the community and with central and local government. The results from the BSR will have an impact upon funding decisions made in the future. It is also expected that the BSR will be used by corporations and third sector organisations when looking at issues concerning the British Sikh community.

7. How many Sikhs are there in Britain?
According to the 2011 Census, there were 420,196 Sikhs in England and 2,962 in Wales as of 27th March 2011. The 2011 results for Scotland have yet to be released, with the most recent official figures being 6,572 Sikhs in 2001. There are no official figures available for Northern Irish Sikhs, although there are an estimated 200 Sikhs in Northern Ireland. Altogether, there are just over 430,000 Sikhs throughout the UK.

8. What are the benefits of the BSR for British Sikhs?
Statistics are very important to ascertain the wants and needs of any community, as well as in recognising changing trends within that community. The ultimate aim of the BSR is to be the leading light in respect of statistics for the British Sikh community. Central and local government relies on available statistics to ensure that funding is allocated where there are evident needs, and the BSR will assist in that.

9. How will the BSR help the public sector?
The Equality Act 2010 is legislation which bans unfair treatment and which will help ensure equal opportunity in the work place and wider society. Section 149 of the Equality Act imposes an equality duty upon the public sector, which encourages the public sector to understand how different people will be affected by their activities, so that their policies and services are appropriate and accessible to all. The BSR will assist the public sector in ensuring that their duties under Section 149 of the Equality Act are being met.

10. Have other communities done anything similar?
Many other minority communities in the UK have similar projects and have benefited immensely from this approach, including the Jewish and Muslim communities. The Church of England also conducts regular research to ascertain the wants and needs of its congregation at local, regional and national levels.

11. Why is the BSR Questionnaire only available online?
The internet is widely used by British Sikhs. In 2012, the Office for National Statistics stated that 84% of the British population used the internet. Most Sikhs in the UK live in a household with extended family, and at least one person within each household will have regular access to the internet. It is expected that more technologically aware members of the family will help the older generation in completing the questionnaire, just as they have helped the older generation in completing the 2011 Census and other forms and documents.

12. Will there be a representative sample?
The BSR Questionnaire team will do its utmost to ensure that there is a representative sample in the results. Any difficulties with obtaining such a sample will be addressed within the BSR itself. The BSR will set out clearly the breakdown of responses, and it will also explain the methodology undertaken in creating the document. The results will be transparent, as will the methodology, and any shortcomings will be taken into account within the bulk of the BSR.

13. Which Sikh organisations are behind the BSR?
The BSR Questionnaire team and the BSR team are wholly independent and autonomous. However, there are a number of partner organisations that are listed on our website that support the BSR. All of the major British Sikh organisations were informed of this project once the Questionnaire had been put together, and some of them were consulted during the process of putting it together in the first place.

14. Why is the BSR an independent project?
Retaining independence is important to ensure that the BSR Questionnaire team hold editorial rights over the questions without undue influence from other groups and organisations who may have vested interests. The BSR Questionnaire team and BSR team have been guided by the approach taken by the 2011 Census when putting together the BSR.

15. Is the BSR team different to the BSR Questionnaire team?
Yes. A different set of skills is required to put together the BSR itself in order for it to be a valid strategic document, and so the BSR team will comprise individuals who have proven experience in producing such a document. The BSR team will comprise primarily of academics and civil servants, with the members of the BSR Questionnaire team providing support as and when necessary.

16. How can I help?
You can help us in a number of ways:

First and foremost, by completing the Questionnaire yourself. The BSR needs as many people to answer the Questionnaire it as possible
Helping your family members complete the Questionnaire if they cannot do it by themselves. This will be very important for the older generation who may not be a technologically aware as you
Promoting the Questionnaire amongst friends and family
Joining our Twitter or Facebook pages

17. I think that the Questionnaire could be improved. How can I tell you about my views?
Unlike many other projects, the BSR is a wholly community-led grass-roots project. As such, the BSR welcomes all feedback. Please email [email protected] with any queries or feedback that you may have, and a member of the BSR Questionnaire or BSR team shall contact you as soon as possible. Sadly it is too late for the Questionnaire to be changed or amended this year. However, the BSR Questionnaire team will take all feedback into account when looking at the Questionnaire once more in Summer 2015 and how it can be improved for the purposes of the BSR in 2015.

British Sikh Report on Sikh Channel part 1/2 (Episode 1.)