Telford retailer Julie Kaur wins Boost Drinks prize

Julie Kaur, of Jules Convenience in Telford, has been announced winner in the ‘Local Legends’ competition by leading functional drinks brand Boost Drinks.

Kaur took home a £20,000 lump sum after being awarded the top prize, which she plans on using to pay tribute to her roots by paying the money back into her community.

“It’s amazing to have been recognised by Boost Drinks. There were so many amazing retailers nominated so it’s a privilege to be announced as the winner. I was also incredibly happy to see so much diversity, moreover so many women shortlisted. I can’t wait put my plans in motion,” she commented after the win.

20 retailers were shortlisted as part of the competition, and the brand said Kaur’s application stood out due to her being an ongoing key figure within the community through her valiant fundraising efforts.

During the pandemic, she worked tirelessly to support her local community, taking it upon herself to reach out to the elderly and vulnerable by paying them visits and offering a delivery service to local residents who were unable to shop for essentials.

Kaur wishes to increase the community outreach by setting up a community café and meeting area in her hometown of Telford, where 31 per cent of the community are semi-skilled or unskilled manual workers, 25 per cent of whom have no qualifications. She hopes the café will further enhance community spirit and help raise aspirations in the community from different groups.

Last month, Kaur has been named as the first winner of the Raj Aggarwal Award, instituted by the Association of Convenience Stores in memory of independent retailer Raj Aggarwal.

Bob Singh, from Nisa Bramston, came second place in the Boost Drinks competition. He plans to use his £2,000 winnings to organise fun community events. Third place was awarded to Divyesh Patel who took home £1,000. He plans to put his prize towards expanding the delivery offering from his store, Tower Stores Off License.

The ‘Celebrating 20 Years of Local Legends’ competition marked the culmination of Boost Drinks’ 20-year anniversary celebrations. The event on 18 November celebrated the brand’s year-on-year growth over the last two decades and thanked stakeholders, wholesalers and retailers alike, for their continued support over the years.

Simon Gray, founder and chief energising officer at Boost Drinks, said: “The competition really was the perfect example of Boost’s vision in action – energising everybody, in every way. I’m so pleased that we were able to come together to celebrate the last two decades at our Platinum Party after the challenging 18 months we’ve all had.

“Congratulations to all of the local legends who were shortlisted. It really was incredibly hard selecting a winner as we received some brilliant nominations and applications from across the country. There were some incredible stories to tell and we’re immensely proud of everyone who entered.”