Longstanding retailer and award-winner, Neil Godhania, has certainly had an exciting few months.
As previously reported on this site, March saw the opening of his latest retail premises in the village of Heacham in west Norfolk, which he converted to an independent store from an empty site which had been derelict for seven years. “It was a big project for us bringing the building back into use,” Neil told Convenience Store.
But something else caught our eye on social media this month, namely the fact a member of staff at the new store was also a community First Responder and could be summoned to help someone in need at any time – even if she was working in the store.
“We’ve tried to make it much more than just somewhere people come to buy their groceries…”
In fact, the new 5,000 sq.ft. Nisa store chose the Heacham Community First Responders as one of the charities it donates to through store collection boxes and other fundraising events and, of course, its Making A Difference Locally funds from Co-op Wholesale. “We’ve tried to make it much more than just somewhere people come to buy their groceries,” Neil said.
“From day one, we wanted it to feel like a proper village store and something the local community could be proud of.”
Charity work
That pride translates to the charity work it does, of course - but how does having a member of staff who could disappear at any given moment? Neil said: “The charity work we do for them all came about through Tracey Mynott, who works at Heacham Stores and volunteers with the First Responders.
“She’s trained and supported by the East of England Ambulance Service and they provide a really important service within the local community.”
Understandably, Neil said he was happy to support the charity. “Once we understood more about what Tracey does and the role the responders play locally, it felt completely natural for us to support them.
“We’ve always wanted Heacham Stores to be more than just a shop, so helping a local organisation that can genuinely make a difference to people in the village was something we were very keen to get behind.”
Great response
The response from the store’s customers has also been encouraging. “The response has been really positive,” Neil said.
“People locally understand how important services like the Community First Responders are - particularly in a rural area - and I think having Tracey as part of our team gives customers an even stronger connection to the cause.
“Since we opened, the village has been incredibly supportive of us, so it’s important that we use the store and the footfall we have to give something back wherever we can.”
Neil explained a little about the voluntary work Tracey does. “She’s trained to respond to certain medical emergencies locally before an ambulance arrives, so it’s a huge responsibility and something we’re very proud to support her with.
“If she was ever needed during a shift, we’d always do everything we reasonably could to allow her to respond. Ultimately, if somebody locally is facing a medical emergency, that’s far more important than what’s happening in the shop at that moment.
“It’s also a benefit to us as if there was ever a problem instore, we know she would be on hand to assist.”
Community involvement
As is clear, community involvement is a huge part of the store and has been from the beginning. And it doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
Neil continued: “Through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally scheme we’ve been able to support other local organisations, including donating £2,000 to Heacham Junior School and £1,000 to Heacham Methodist Church and Heacham Football Club.
“We’re also continuing to look at other local groups and organisations that we can support. For me, independent convenience stores are at their best when they’re part of the community rather than simply operating within it.
“For us, the next stage is continuing to improve the offer, support more local causes and make Heacham Stores somewhere that genuinely adds something to the village.”
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