A convenience store in Stenhousemuir has won a national award for going above and beyond for vulnerable customers during the pandemic.
Jawad and Asiyah Javed, owners of the Day Today store in Alloa Road, have been named as the overall winners of the Shop Local, Shop Little Heroes Awards, created by the NFRN.
The trade body launched the awards – sponsored by Booker, Boost, and Mondelez – to recognise the work that was done by its members to help and support their local communities during the pandemic.
The couple tracked the needs of their customers and found that hand wash, gel sanitiser, and baby food supplies were running low. They managed to source these products and gave them away for free to those that needed them. They also gave out more than 3,000 Covid-19 hand care packages to elderly and infirm customers and delivered them free of charge to those who couldn’t collect.
As the pandemic progressed, people started to need face masks and food packages; again the retailers established a supplier for these products and quickly got them to where they were needed most, at no cost.
The couple was presented with the award by the NFRN’s then National President Narinder Randhawa, during the gala dinner at the organisation’s annual conference, held in Birmingham earlier this week (20 June).
The prize included a store makeover from Mondeléz, a fully stocked fridge from Boost Drinks, and £1,000 in cash from the Booker Group.
Asiyah Javed said: “We are very happy and shocked to win the overall award. We were very surprised when our names were called out. We didn’t expect it because other members had done such great work. I was up all night with excitement.”
Randhawa added: “Jawad, Asiyah and their team are outstanding examples of the fantastic work that was and still is being done by independent retailers throughout the UK and Ireland on a daily basis.
“Stores like this are the backbone of our communities. They fully deserve to be recognised for their dedication and determination to continue providing a first-class service during what were extremely challenging and difficult times.”
