Tributes pour in after pillar of Sikh community in Bedford dies

Father-of-four Darshan Singh Garcha - the president at Guru Nanak Gurdwara Bedford - has died at the age of 80.

Mr Garcha volunteered much of his time to the Gurdwara, from organising events, to helping the Gurdwara run on a daily basis.

He was also heavily involved in the newly built Gurdwara on Ford End Road in Queens Park which opened in 2007.

Mr Garcha came to England in the 1960s with his father, followed by his mother, wife, four brothers and sister. With nothing to his name, he taught himself to speak, read and write English.

He originally set up in Bletchley where he worked on building railway and underground networks. He and his family then moved to Bedford in the 1980s. Mr Garcha owned a newsagents on Brackley Road for many years, settling in Elstow.

Darshan Singh Garcha then became the president of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Bedford. He was a practicing Sikh and devoted his life to Seva (selfless service) in the community.

Dalvir Singh Panesar, general secretary at Guru Nanak Gurdwara Bedford, said: "I and the congregation of the Gurdwara are devastated with the loss of our beloved president. Mr Garcha was a fit and healthy man with incredible energy for an 80 year old. He spent most of his time at the Gurdwara serving the Sikh community. He is a massive loss to the Gurdwara and local community. He will be dearly missed."