A Second Stanfords Sprinter for Nishkam Swat
Earlier this year, we were revisited by UK Sikh charity, Nishkam Swat, who were in need of a second Stanfords conversion to help out with their homeless outreach project.
Nishkam Swat supplied us with a Mercedes Sprinter 316 L3H2 for us to convert.
Nishkam Swat are a Sikh welfare and awareness team based in West London. Their aim is to unite and transform financially disadvantaged communities with their numerous projects which focus on making a difference to people’s lives, in both the short and long term. The charity was founded in 2008 as a youth club that offered regular workshops on substance awareness, but upon the discovery of over 200 people sleeping rough in the streets of Southall, they knew that they had to help.
In 2009, Nishkam Swat set up their Homeless Project to serve displaced and vulnerable individuals by providing them with food, supplies and support. Since then, the charity has expanded even further and now offers recovery and healthcare services to those living on the streets.
Alongside these projects, Nishkam Swat also manage an Elderly Care Project where their wonderful volunteers take time to regularly visit care homes and reminisce with residents who may no longer have any surviving family or friends.
Nishkam Swat supplied us with a L3H2 Mercedes Sprinter to convert into a mobile homeless outreach centre.
Last year, Nishkam Swat provided approached us needing to upgrade their existing Mercedes Sprinter to include a safe split space for transporting volunteers, food and supplies to a number of different locations. The first Sprinter conversion has helped massively with distributing their services to a wider range of individuals, so this year they returned with a second Mercedes Sprinter for us to upgrade.
The conversion
Nishkam Swat provided us with a Mercedes Sprinter 316 L3H2 which we converted to a bespoke specification, similar to our splitter van conversions. On the exterior of the vehicle, we fitted a large heavy-duty awning and scene lights, meaning that the charity’s volunteers can continue helping those in need regardless of the weather or time of day.
Nishkam Swat’s Sprinter conversion features a heavy-duty side awning.
Front passenger cabin
Inside of the vehicle, the layout is similar to our splitter van conversions. In the front half of the vehicle, we have designed a passenger area with six seats to transport the volunteers. An additional two volunteers can also be seated in the front cab area. To promote the charity, we have upholstered each seat in a luxury wipe clean material complete with diamond stitching, piping and seatbelts in Nishkam Swat’s eye-catching red colours. Matching diamond stitch panels have also been recessed into the roof. As an extra special touch, we embroidered Nishkam Swat’s emblem into all of the head rests.
Nishkam Swat’s seats feature the charities emblem.
We have illuminated the passenger area by installing blue / white LED ceiling lights and lower white LED lights. USB charging points have also been included and the power output is tracked using a battery capacity monitor. To keep volunteers and any visitors warm during the winter, we have installed an Eberspacher rear saloon heating system.
Nishkam Swat’s Sprinter conversion features diamond stitched roof panels that compliment the seating.
Rear storage area
In the back half of the vehicle, accessible via the passenger saloon or via the rear doors, we have designed a custom-built storage area with shelving and compartments. We have also installed floor and high-level tracking in this area which will be used to secure Nishkam Swat’s supplies with straps whilst travelling. If additional storage space is required, the front area also features an overhead luggage rack and each passenger seat includes removable fixings, meaning that they can be taken out of the vehicle to provide even more additional space. Above the rear entrance, we have installed two high intensity LED lights which illuminate the rear area at night when loading the vehicle.
Watch the video below to see Nishkam Swat’s full conversion.
Thanks to Nishkam Swat
We would like to thank Nishkam Swat for returning to Stanford Coachworks for their second Sprinter conversion. It’s great to see how our conversions are helping contribute towards their wide range of welfare projects. We look forward to upgrading their next Mercedes Sprinter which is now on site with us. We would also like to wish them all the best for the future with their incredible work.
If you would like to find out more about Nishkam Swat or to volunteer your help, please click here.