Words by Jobe Baker-Sullivan / Pics by Ed King
Joshua’s Convenience Store, on Boldmere Road, are offering free deliveries for ‘the elderly and the vulnerable’ – helping people access food and provisions during the coronavirus crisis.
A sign in the front window states: ‘At Joshua’s, we are willing to deliver to the elderly and the vulnerable. Please contact us on any of the numbers below. We have enough supplies to cater for those most in need. We won’t charge for delivery. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.’
People can contact Joshua’s through both the shop’s landline number and a mobile: (0121) 373 0113 or 07513 712 083
Simple acts of kindness can go a long way, and across Erdington and Sutton Coldfield local businesses have been adapting to best serve their community and customers in the face of COVID-19.
“We help deliver to about 10 vulnerable and elderly people per day,” explains Tariq Mahmood, whose family have owned and run Joshua’s Convenience Store since 2007, “it’s heart-warming. It’s good to do a service for the community.”
Tariq explains that whilst most of his customers are local to the Erdington/Sutton Coldfield area, the sign has been posted by some of the shop’s regulars across their own social media – leading to calls for deliveries to people self-isolating outside of the immediate area.
But Joshua’s is still widely used by the people of Boldmere – alongside the stacked shelves of food, drinks, and household essentials, the shop can also take bill payments, has a cash machine, and runs paper deliveries to local residents.
And whilst smaller convenience stores have historically struggled to compete with large supermarkets, especially in terms of price and popularity, being a family owned business allows Joshua’s to be more flexible to their customer’s needs.
“All we want now is a post office,” tells Tariq heartily, “I now have to work an extra three hours a day; I visit multiple warehouses to find the goods my customers need. Flour, pasta, and toilet roll are all in short supply still, but you just have to get on with it and do your best.”
Joshua’s Convenience Store is located at 392 Boldmere Rd, B73 5EZ. To contact Joshua’s, you can call (0121) 373 0113 or 07513 712 083