PayPoint named Ikram Vali of Middleton News as the first Community Champion Award winner, with a £3,500 sponsorship fund for a local community initiative.
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PayPoint named Ikram Vali, owner of Middleton News in Manchester, as the first recipient of its Community Champion Awards Programme. Vali won the All-Rounder award, which recognizes retailers who deliver standout service across PayPoint's services while making a local impact.
Middleton News has been a PayPoint retailer for more than 26 years. The store added PayPoint BankLocal, ATM, and parcel services, turning itself into a community hub alongside traditional bill payments and card processing. The expanded offering helped drive footfall and extra income for the shop.
Jo Toolan, managing director of Network Services at PayPoint, said the award celebrates retailers at the heart of their communities. “Middleton News is a fantastic example of how retailers can offer a full range of services to better serve their customers while growing their own business,” she said. PayPoint is contributing a £3,500 sponsorship fund to the community initiative Vali chooses.
Vali said running a convenience store now involves more than selling groceries. “Customers expect us to offer things like parcels and access to cash services too. Those services make a real difference to local people, and they’ve also helped us build a stronger business,” he said.
The Community Champion Programme builds on PayPoint's long-standing partnerships with UK retailers. Future awards will recognize excellence in parcels, BankLocal, and retailer improvement.
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