Malkeat Singh: Rooted in Southampton: A life of community and service

I was born in Southampton in 1958 and have lived in the inner city all my life. Educated locally, I left school with nine GCSEs, all passed. Growing up in the city centre shaped my outlook and instilled in me a strong sense of community and responsibility.

My father, Sardar Harnam Singh, was one of the first people of colour to settle in Southampton, arriving in 1951. In 1964, he opened the city’s first South Asian grocery store. I helped run the family business from a young age, learning the importance of hard work, service and entrepreneurship. I also volunteered regularly at the Sikh Gurdwara, carrying out tasks such as cleaning and serving food as part of seva (selfless service).

I began working at the age of 16 in a factory in Millbrook. At 18, I joined British Rail in Eastleigh in an operational support role, where I worked for over 22 years. Alongside this, I also served as a trade union representative, developing skills in advocacy, negotiation and leadership.

Community involvement has always been central to my life. At 30, I became the youngest President of the local Sikh Gurdwara and have since served as Chair or member of several local forums, including the Newtown Community Action Forum, Inner City Youth Forum, Police Advisory Panel and Health Forum. Through these roles, I worked with public and private sector partners to better understand the needs of diverse communities and to help develop more inclusive services.

Following my departure from British Rail, I secured a position as Community Engagement Officer with Southampton City Council, where I have continued this important work for over 25 years.

My role involves working closely with the city’s diverse communities, faith organisations and businesses to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, and to strengthen community relations.

Over time, I have developed a broad skill set that enables me to build trusted relationships with communities and leaders. As an experienced facilitator, my understanding of different faiths, cultures and traditions has helped create strong partnerships across the city and wider Solent region.

Creating space for underrepresented voices builds trust and leads to fairer outcomes. Lived experience offers insights beyond data, helping services become more responsive and inclusive. By actively listening, I can identify barriers, challenge assumptions and ensure policies better reflect people’s realities.

What I enjoy most is making a tangible difference. Working directly with residents, faith groups and local organisations allows me to see the impact of meaningful engagement first-hand.

During the pandemic, I acted as lead Community Engagement Officer for the council’s engagement strategy, sharing safety guidance, gathering feedback and identifying areas needing support. More recently, I have worked with communities to understand cost-of-living challenges, including food poverty and rising bills, and to connect residents with practical support.

Southampton’s cultural, social and historical diversity underpins this work and shapes my approach to engagement. Recognising the city’s multi-faith and multicultural landscape ensures engagement is respectful, informed and effective.

This commitment is also reflected in my family’s recent involvement with the University of Southampton’s Ramniklal Solanki Pioneers Research Project, led by the India Centre for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development. We were honoured to support the project which highlights the contributions of the South Asian diaspora to Britain over the past century.

As part of the initiative, biographies of ten pioneers were commissioned alongside films documenting their journeys and impact. One featured my late father, Sardar Harnam Singh, whose life and work supported Southampton’s communities from the 1950s onwards. Over the years, I collected newspaper articles, photographs and historical materials about my father and our family’s journey in Southampton, which I was pleased to share with the university research team.

The project celebrates inclusion, resilience and contribution, preserving these stories for future generations. For our family, it was deeply meaningful to see my father’s legacy recognised, reflecting both his personal journey and the wider contribution of migrant families to a more inclusive society.

In 2023, I was honoured to receive the Lord Mayor’s Award for my contribution to strengthening community relationships across Southampton, from the 1st Lord Mayor of Southampton Councillor Jacqui Rayment, followed by the Unity 101 Lifetime Achievement Award. These awards are significant to me as they recognise not only my efforts but also the collective work of the communities and colleagues who supported me.

The values passed down from my family – humanity, care and sharing – have guided my career and volunteering. I am proud to be part of Southampton, a diverse, multi-faith and multicultural city, and I believe that all human beings belong to one race: humanity.