Village shopkeepers honoured for service in pandemic );
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THE owners of an independent grocery shop and off-licence in Goring have been honoured for supporting the community through the coronavirus pandemic.
Jayesh and Varsha Patel, who have run Westholme Stores in Wallingford Road for more than 30 years, were presented with the Shop Local, Shop Little Heroes certificate by the National Confederation of Small Retailers.
Booker, their wholesale supplier, secretly nominated the couple in the autumn after learning about their efforts during the coronavirus lockdown between late March and early July last year.
The Patels, their children Nikita and Rupen and their staff worked with the village’s volunteer “street champions” to parcel up orders for people who were self-isolating or shielding due to medical vulnerability. Volunteers collected and delivered these and said that chatting with the family helped them cope with the stress of the situation. Mr Patel, who is kno