An inspiring Birmingham retailer and postmaster who fled persecution as a child refugee has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to his community and charitable work in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026.
Pritesh Pattni, who operates Bristol Street Post Office from within his convenience store in Aston, is being recognised for years of community leadership alongside running a busy independent retail business.
Pattni and his family fled Uganda during Idi Amin’s dictatorship, arriving in the UK when he was just five years old. After time in a refugee camp in Somerset, the family spent several years living in a single room in Birmingham before rebuilding their lives.
“When we had been in Uganda I had been part of a wealthy family as my grandparents had a jewellery business,” Pattni recollected. “My parents didn’t need to work, and we had domestic help. It was a big change when we came to Britain living in a refugee camp, then living in a cramped room, and my parents had to get a job and work.”
He entered retail in 2007, opening a petrol station on Bristol Street before launching a convenience store across the road in 2018. The addition of a Post Office ensured essential services remained available in an area with high local need.
Alongside his retail operation, Pattni is chair of the Bidgley Power Foundation, a Birmingham-based charity supported by 36 volunteers. He personally contributes between 20 and 25 volunteer hours a week, delivering youth activities, sports programmes and summer food provision for children who rely on free school meals during term time.
The charity supports around 1,400 children during the summer holidays and runs the only youth group in the area. Activities range from badminton, yoga and kickboxing to IT lessons, adult learner groups and environmental initiatives, with some programmes delivered in partnership with Aston Villa Football Club.
Surplus food from Pattni’s store is donated to the charity, with in-store collection tins also helping to fund community work. His passion for badminton has also driven inclusive sports programmes, including disability tournaments attracting hundreds of participants.
Pattni said his motivation came from his own early experiences. “I did not have an easy start in life, but I bounced back,” he said. “There are people in this area who are underprivileged, and I wanted to help them. Many people who have benefitted by the work of the charity go on to help others by volunteering in some ways, which builds their confidence and skills.”
Post Office area manager Rachel Lawler added: “This kind and caring postmaster was a refugee. He and his family had to work hard to rebuild their lives. Pritesh wanted to give back to his community in Birmingham where he’s lived since a young boy, to show his great appreciation.”
Pattni’s next ambition is to establish a forest school for young people in Aston, transforming a small wooded area behind the local youth club into a space for outdoor learning and team-building.