Southall is a pocket of Asia tucked into the west corner of London. A focal point for immigration since the 1960s, Southall is home to well-established Punjabi, Pakistani and Sri Lankan communities, with more recent arrivals from Somalia, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe. The single largest faith group is Sikh (31%), followed by Muslim (23%), Hindu (19%) and Christian (18%). From the rich array of fabrics, spices and jewellery available in local shops to the impressive sight of the largest Sikh temple outside India, visitors are often struck by Southall’s vibrant multi-cultural atmosphere.

But the local community faces a series of challenging issues. Almost a third of Southall’s households are designated as overcrowded and the area is well-known for having a hidden population of people without official papers. It’s not unusual to find houses with two or three people living in each room. Outhouses and garages, the ‘sheds with beds’, provide unregulated accommodation in the back gardens of every street. Many people are dependent on the free meals served daily by the Sikh temples or gurdwaras. Recent government statistics show neighbourhoods in Southall are some of the most deprived in the UK, struggling with a combination of high crime rates, low income levels and difficulties in accessing services. Traffic congestion and fly-tipping are commonplace, resulting in a polluted environment and problems with rats and cockroaches.