Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS)

What it is: The Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS) is a Sikh charity in the English Midlands that takes langar, the free meal of the gurdwara, out to people on the street. SikhNet names Randhir Singh Heer as its founder and says it began in Walsall in October 2013, serving hot vegetarian food and drink to homeless and low-income people. The Randal Charitable Foundation, which has funded it, says it works on a Sikh-based ethos and helps people whatever their social status.

How it grew: SikhNet says it serves food nearly every day of the year except Christmas Day, with daily meals in or near Albert Street in Birmingham city centre, and that it works in major UK cities with over 30,000 service users. It held a Christmas Eve feast for homeless people at New Street Station in December 2019 with Network Rail. The Randal Foundation says its Leicester service grew to five days a week, and that when the Covid-19 lockdowns halted it, MLSS started a seven-day meal service for people newly housed by Leicester City Council and for elderly or isolated residents, now over 3,000 meals a week. The foundation funded a van for it in 2020, and a further grant in 2021 helped provide 40,000 meals in ten months. In June 2020 its co-founder Randhir Singh said it was serving around 40,000 meals a week across the UK.

Beyond Britain: SikhNet says MLSS has started initiatives in Germany and Italy, has made aid trips to Greece, Calais and Thailand, and in Punjab supports abandoned children and displaced or refugee families with education, clothing and other help.

Its name in the political record: In June 2020 SikhPA reported that an Indian news outlet, which SikhPA chose not to name, had listed MLSS among UK Sikh charities it claimed were profiting from the Khalistan cause. SikhPA called the claim unfounded. Randhir Singh told SikhPA he was appalled to see the charity's name damaged and that MLSS has never engaged in political activity.

Key moments

• October 2013: founded in Walsall.
• December 2019: Christmas Eve feast for the homeless at New Street Station, Birmingham.
• 2020: Covid-19 meal service in Leicester; first funded van.
• June 2020: named in an Indian media report, which MLSS rejected.

Where it stands: The newest figures in the sources opened for this page are from 2020 and 2021. Its core work, as those sources describe it, is feeding people in Birmingham, Leicester and other cities.