Sussex-based retailer Kim Patel said he was “totally and utterly shocked” to win the inaugural Community Award from Ardingly Parish Council.

Patel, of the Ardingly News Shop, has operated the store for the past five years and received the award for supporting disabled and elderly villagers, as well as for anticipating community needs during the pandemic.

Speaking to Better Retailing, Patel said his commitment to community service stems from his family running convenience stores for the past 40 years, and that a strong sense of community ethos and spirit is something he brought to Ardingly.

He said: “It’s a village shop, we see the same people day in, day out. So it’s more like a community shop where people not only just come to buy things but also talk about the weather, sport, or anything happening in the village.

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“We were totally and utterly shocked to win the award. There’s about five businesses in the village and we were lucky enough to be the first winner of the award.”

Patel explained that during Covid the shop opened for longer than usual and that it would deliver goods to customers, including free delivery to elderly customers. He added that he is able to do more for his customers because it’s a family-owned business, meaning he can rely on family members for additional support.

He said: “We’ve got good backup, I have my wife and my dad who helps me in the shop as well, that’s the reason we can give this kind of support to our village.”

Patel also urged other small business owners to help out in their local communities “as much as they can” and show support for local events.

“Support whenever you can, there’s lots of events going on in small villages I like to get involved as much as I can,” he added.

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