Essex community shop wins national award

A DUNMOW High Street newsagents has been recognised for its exemplary work in the community.

A Willet & Sons was commended for going that ‘extra mile’ for its customers by the national campaign ‘My Shop is Your Shop’, run by the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, and was named in the top 200 newsagents in the country.

Owner Paul Moreton praised the hard work of his team and the dedicated volunteers in the retirement homes for helping them to achieve the award.

“I would like to take the credit but the girls do much more than me,” he told the Broadcast.

“‘My Shop is Your Shop’ is not just about opening your shop seven days a week, it is about what else you do to help the community.”

For Willets this includes taking orders from the many retirement homes in and around Dunmow, and delivering hampers to them.

The shop also delivers newspapers to the outlying parishes that would otherwise not receive them.

Mr Moreton explained that the idea came about after customers were coming into the shop and buying things for their friends.

“Instead of them coming in we decided to take the shop to them once a week,” he said.

“We now have people in each of the old people’s homes who have taken on the responsibility of making sure everyone gets what they ordered.

“We had nothing to do with that side of things but we’re very grateful.”

Local MP Sir Alan Haselhurst had the pleasure of handing the community award to Willets.

“It is always nice to get a bit of recognition although that’s not why we do it,” explained Mr Moreton.

“We have a cracking community shop and that allows us to deliver the services people enjoy.”