‘Keep scooting champ’

Postie Gavin Davies kindly donated all of his Christmas tips to a devastated young boy, after hearing his scooter had been stolen.

Gavin has been a postman working in Carmarthen – the oldest continually occupied town in Wales – for the past 33 years and knows most of the customers on his rounds, including six-year-old Ollie Davies and his parents.

Last week, Ollie’s mum posted on social media that her son’s scooter had been stolen outside their home in Tregynwr, south Wales.

Ollie was said to be heartbroken, but his mood improved significantly when he found a letter addressed to him on the family doormat. Inside the envelope was a £20 note and a card, which read:

‘Hi Ollie, I heard the sad news about your scooter! Just to let you know that not everybody is nasty and cruel.

‘People have been kind to me and given me Christmas tips just for doing my job. So, I want to share them with you. Keep scooting champ. Postie x.’

Gavin said he decided to help Ollie after seeing the post online.

‘I don’t actually work that route regularly anymore,’ he told ITV News, ‘But on Friday, I was covering for someone and I had seen Ollie on my round. People are so nice to us, and as it was the first time I’d worked the Tregynwr area for a while, it was a nice surprise for me to get some Christmas tips.

‘I saw what Ollie's mum put on Facebook and I thought I would just give the money to him. I’m from Tregynwr, so I know the family and just thought that as I had a bit of spare cash, I would help him get himself a new scooter.’

Ollie’s mum said she couldn’t believe the generosity shown towards her son when she opened the letter.

‘The message was so lovely,’ she said. ‘And it’s typical of Gavin because everybody around here loves him.’

The gesture has delighted customers in Tregynwr and the surrounding area, with the chair of the local council praising Gavin for his kindness.

Robin Griffiths, chair of Llangunnor Community Council, said: ‘Thank you Gavin Davies, you’re a star and all your friends have kept us going in the community throughout the lockdown.’

Photo by Media Wales.