Choc-full of generosity

Burnley postman of 20 years Paul Parfitt went out of his way to cheer up customers during lockdown – by putting chocolates through their doors.

Paul delivered the sweet treats to 85 vulnerable customers who he knows live alone. He also included a personalised note with each special delivery.

‘I thought about how I’m able to go to work every day and when I come home, I have a garden, wife and children,’ said Paul, who delivers to the village of Worsthorne in Lancashire.

‘Some people were isolating indoors on their own for 12 weeks. It was just a way of saying, “someone else is thinking of you and you’re not on your own”.’

Paul’s gifts were warmly welcomed and he received dozens of touching notes – and a bottle of homemade wine – thanking him for his thoughtful gesture.

‘It was lovely to see the notes on doors,’ he added. ‘Everyone knows me as the village postman – you become part of the community, even if you don’t live there.’

Paul also donated his Christmas stamps to the village shop after its supply ran out, which people could help themselves to for free.

His kind gestures have since resulted in him being nominated for a BBC local hero award. A grateful couple who used some of his stamps to write to their grandchildren nominated him for the award.