The work of a food store manager in Lyme Regis during the Coronavirus lockdown has been recognised nationally by the Co-op.

Karl Josko, the manager of the Co-op in Lyme Regis, has been singled out for a Local Hero award.

Karl always goes the extra mile. In the middle of this pandemic, he had an idea to inject a bit of fun into customers shopping trips and raised money for charity by holding a ‘Hawaiian dress down weekend’. Never one to shy away from getting involved, he even dyed his hair to suit the tropical occasion.

Karl shared this idea with other stores across the region who all took part. As well as brightening up a horrible situation they raised a massive £10,000 for Fareshare.

Jane Walapu from the Co-op’s colleague recognition team said: “We’ve been amazed by the stories we’ve heard about the lengths colleagues have gone to over the last few months in order to help others, and this is why we wanted to recognise the amazing things that they have been doing to not only support our fellow colleagues but also their communities during this time of crisis.”

Karl has won experience vouchers and was invited to a virtual afternoon tea hosted by the Co-op’s chief executive Steve Murrells.