Kintbury says thank you to its 'lockdown heroes'

Owners of village corner shop showered with gifts for going 'above and beyond' during Covid-19 pandemic

KINTBURY residents have said a special thank you to the owners of the village’s much-loved corner shop for going ‘above and beyond’ during the coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout lockdown, Jay and Anita Munger of Kintbury Corner Stores, have been working around the clock to make sure villagers have been able to access food and other essential supplies.

As well as working 17-hour shifts, the pair have also gone the extra mile by making deliveries to those residents who have been unable to leave the house.

And on Saturday, it was the turn of the village to say thank you to Mr and Mrs Munger for being there when they needed them most.

To their complete surprise, they were presented with flowers, an engraved glass plaque, ‘Covid hero’ medals, a voucher for a meal and overnight stay at The Vineyard, Stockcross, and a cheque for £1,699.

Due to the current coronavirus restrictions that are in place, a full crowd wasn’t able to witness Saturday’s presentation.

However, a small group of residents were there to see it, while others dropped into the shop throughout the day to thank them in person.

Mr Munger said: “I still can’t believe this has happened and even more surprised everyone managed to keep it quiet.

“You usually hear a whisper or someone lets it slip, but we didn’t have a clue.

“Even when people started dropping off cards on the Saturday morning and saying ‘thank you’, we still didn’t click.

“We just wondered what they were doing.

“It was so touching. I couldn’t believe it. I really don’t know what to say.

“There is something really special about Kintbury and what happened on Saturday proved it.

“We have some lovely customers and since we came here 10 years ago we’ve really been made to feel part of the community here.”

He added: “When the pandemic started we just didn’t know what was happening.

“People started panicking and the phone was ringing non-stop with people placing orders because they were worried they would run out of food and other essentials.

“At that moment in time, we just wanted to make sure everyone had what they needed because we have a lot of vulnerable people in our community.

“It was not easy working all those hours.

“It was definitely a challenge, but to be honest we were just doing it without thinking – we just did it.

“People are saying thank you to us for what we’ve done for Kintbury – but look at what the community of Kintbury have done for us.

“We’ve all been there for each other.

“For all the awful things that coronavirus has brought, there have been some positives to come out of it and one of those is the fact its really brought the community together.”

Mr Munger also praised his two sons Ashleigh and Alvin, who helped out during the pandemic, saying: “They didn’t moan at all, they just got on with it and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.

“It was a real joint, family effort.

“They were amazing.”

Mrs Munger added: “We are blessed to be living here in Kintbury.

“People are so nice and supportive and we all help each other.”

He also urged residents in other villages to use their local corner shop and post office, saying: “If you have got a village shop or post office, then use it.

“They are so important and this pandemic has proved it.

“Village shops are the hub of the community.”