Two inspirational Birmingham shops have been celebrated for their exceptional contributions to their local communities at the prestigious 2025 Local Retail Champions awards.
Celebrating Community Heroes
The awards evening, hosted by Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, took place at the Hilton London Syon Park. It was a night dedicated to honouring the UK's most dedicated local retailers. The event featured performances from the National Lottery-funded Brixton Chamber Orchestra and an insightful Q&A with Phil Chamberlain, England Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, who emphasised the crucial role retailers play in raising money for Good Causes.
Birmingham's Winning Stores
From Birmingham, two family-run businesses stood out. Sunny and Lacey Sandhu, who run Candy and Liquor on Navigation Street, were named Regional Winners. They received a £5,000 prize in recognition of their profound community-focused work. Their efforts include providing essential food parcels and supporting an estimated 200 struggling families every month.
Also receiving a regional award and a £5,000 prize were father and daughter Pritesh and Riya Pattni from Morrisons Daily on Bristol Street. They were honoured for their tireless support of the Aston community. Their charity work includes delivering the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which provided food, fun, and learning to more than 300 local children on free school meals during the school holidays.
A National Celebration of Local Impact
The Birmingham winners were among 14 other Regional Winners from across the UK and Isle of Man, each of whom also received a £5,000 prize for their outstanding local contributions. The top national honours went to Barry’s Local & Post Office in Chatham, Kent, and Halai General Store (Best One) in Bermondsey, London. These two stores were named National Winners, each receiving a £15,000 top prize.
This year also introduced two new Innovation Awards, designed to celebrate retailers who found creative ways to highlight local National Lottery Good Causes in their shops. The winners were Amit Patel of Go Local Extra in Salford, Manchester, and Nathalie Fullerton of One Stop in Partick, Glasgow. Each received £2,500 in cash plus up to £2,500 to implement their innovative ideas.
The entire Local Retail Champions initiative is funded through Allwyn’s £1 million annual Social Value Fund, a commitment dedicated to helping communities and high streets across the UK and Isle of Man thrive.
Alison Acquaye-Acford, Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, said: "Congratulations to our two Birmingham winners. This initiative shines a spotlight on the incredible role National Lottery retailers play in their communities. Candy and Liquor and Morrisons Daily embody the values that make local shops so vital to their local areas. We’re proud to celebrate their achievements and the Good Causes they support by selling National Lottery tickets."
