Coronavirus: Crawley shop is creating free relief packages – and is asking the community for support

K&M Minimart and Post Office, in Langley Parade, Langley Green, is operated by the Akhtar family.

Members of the family have been creating relief packages from their own shop stock, while also holding a relief trolley of products in their store.

The trolley is stocked up with essential goods from the shop, and from members of the public who have donated products. This gives key workers the flexibility to visit the shop whenever their shift finishes.

So far, K&M Minimart has dispensed 162 relief packages to pensioners and less able people in their community, and 112 relief packages for NHS workers and carers.

Many of these key workers have collected the relief packages from the shop, although K&M Minimart offers the option of delivery. The store has made two drops to Crawley Hospital and three drops to East Surrey Hospital to deliver some relief packages.

However, to be able to continue offering these packages, donations are needed from the general public.

Imran Akhtar, owner, said: “We have tried to help as much as we can to provide free relief packages for both elderly and front line workers.

“We want to keep continuing with this work as long as we can. However we need it to be sustainable so we need people to keep the donations of basic food and non-food items coming so we can make more relief packages and also keep our relief trolley topped up.”

Find out more about K&M Minimart by visiting its Facebook page at K&M Minimart.

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