‘Best postman ever!’
We worked with BBC Breakfast on a three-minute slot, broadcast on Monday, telling the story of how North London postman Ali Yilmaz helped a vulnerable woman on his round.
The presenters talked about the important role that our people are playing keeping people connected through letters and parcels, and Ali’s appearance perfectly illustrated how colleagues are such an integral part of their communities.
‘Being a postman, you get to meet people every day,’ said Ali, who is based at Upper Edmonton Delivery Office. ‘You get to see the same people, especially if you’re doing the same round. People respect you, so you build that bond.
‘Because you work the same area all the time, you can see the vulnerable people who need help.’
When Ali saw a customer, who looked like they needed some support, he asked her if she needed him to bring her anything. When the customer asked for a newspaper and a pint of milk, Ali went further…m uch further.
‘I bought her some eggs, bread, some fruit and a bunch of flowers,’ he told the programme. Ali’s support meant a great deal to the customer, whose name is Cathy. Click here to see how she responded to his act of kindness.
‘To feel appreciated in that way was just amazing,’ said Ali. ‘Everyone’s trying their best during this pandemic. It’s very important that people stay connected through our service.’
Following Ali’s act of charity, Cathy’s niece, Claire Hilman, who at the time didn’t know Ali’s name, tweeted her thanks: ‘My auntie is disabled and lives alone. Her postman has been looking out for her and today left this (pictured) on her doorstep. I don’t know who he is, but @RoyalMail if you do, please thank him from the bottom of my heart! She lives on Queensland Avenue N18.’
When she later discovered Ali’s identity, she said: ‘Hi Ali, if this is you, thank you so much. Twitter is amazing – I managed to track you down in an hour or so! Thanks for your kindness. I hope the reaction has made you smile. You’re one of life’s good guys!’
Upper Edmonton delivery office manager, Charles Houedanous, said: ‘I didn’t know about this story until it went viral on Twitter. That’s typical Ali.
‘Ali is a gentleman, a true hero who would go the extra mile to help anyone. I am blessed to be working with a bunch of good people in Upper Edmonton. Most of them would have done exactly the same thing in this tough time.
‘You wouldn’t believe that during this difficult period, despite the high level of absence due to covid-19, we have still managed to clear our office every single day with no risk to the Universal Service Obligation.’
Keep an eye on myroyalmail.com for more stories of our kind-hearted people at this difficult time. And be sure to follow our own social media channels on Twitter and Instagram using @myroyalmailuk.
