Show Your Support: Owner of Burley's, Southwell, to reopen her doors having volunteered through the coronavirus crisis

A shop is hoping to gift residents something unique when it reopens its doors on Monday.

Carolyn Smith, of Burley’s, Southwell, spent the closure volunteering with Southwell Torpedoes, which offers doorstep services for residents during the coronavirus crisis.

However, this week, her attention returned to opening her gift shop and putting appropriate protective measures in place.

“As a small business that isn’t on the internet, my local customers are my most important customers — they are greatly valued,” Carolyn said.

“People were concerned and asked if we are going to be able to come out the other side of this pandemic, which luckily we are.

“We had the support of the grants to enable us to pay our rent, but local support means everything to us.

“In these really difficult times, the smaller businesses have really stepped up to help the local communities.

“Whether that be offering free delivery locally, moving their services online, doing door stop drops or putting on takeaways, while those who can’t, like ourselves, have been helping out at places like Southwell Torpedoes.

“I think people will remember who was there for them during the tough times and will show support in a response to that.”

An owner of a bakery has thanked its customers for their support during lockdown.

Beverly Reddish, who owns Mosedales Bakery, in Southwell, said she hoped business would continue on Monday when non-essential shops up and down the country can reopen.

"We have suffered as everybody has, but as we could provide the essentials like bread, we remained open," she said.

"We could provide to places like the doctors, the chemist, Southwell Torpedoes and other groups."

She said her business had already benefited from the support of locals as lockdown rules had eased, and hoped once the high street reopened customers would continue to show their support.