RAJ ‘SUNNY’ PATEL QMS STORE

ELDERLY Barbara Sheppard had such severe Covid-19 symptoms last March she feared for her life – but Sunny Patel came to her rescue.

“There were times when I didn’t think I was going to make it,” admits the church minister, 72, who was forced to quarantine alone.

Sunny, owner of QMS Store and Alexandra Park Convenience Store in Swindon, Wiltshire, brought her daily hot meals. “If I needed anything he made sure I got it,” says Barbara. “But it wasn’t just me. He supported everybody.”

Sunny’s business partner, chef Sanjay Dogra, cooked 100 meals a day and the shopkeeper then delivered them to vulnerable people. “I wanted to make sure that I was there when my community needed my help,” says Sunny, 43.