A VILLAGE shop in south Herefordshire has won a "rural Oscar" for going beyond "just being a Post Office."

The Pontrilas Post Office and Store was named the champion in the village shop and Post Office category at the national Countryside Alliance Awards.

This year there were more than 11,000 nominations across five categories.

Sonya and Nigel Cary set up a community interest group named Care and Repair Enterprise (CARE) in Pontrilas in 2013 to save the village's post office and reduce social isolation.

Their services now include a prescription service and a dementia friendly cafe.

Mr and Mrs Cary went to the House of Lords yesterday to pick up their award.

Sonya said: "As a local initiative, formed by local residents it is a wonderful example of what can be achieved at grass root level.

"Addressing local issues ‘rural social isolation and loneliness’ by way of ‘social inclusion’ activities has enabled C.A.R.E. CIC to work alongside local residents who just need ‘that little bit of help’.

"Nigel and I are so very proud to receive such a prestigious award and hope that our community initiatives and shared ‘Good Practice’ inspires others across the country."

The Countryside Alliance Awards are nicknamed the Rural Oscars and were handed out by the environment secretary, Michael Gove MP, to the top rural enterprises in the country.

Businesses from across England and Wales, who had already won their regional title, came to Westminster to find out if they were to be crowned national champion.

Mr Cary said: “Our main objective is fighting loneliness and helping the vulnerable in our locality.

"We offer a prescription delivery service to 16 villages around the area and often arrange lifts to the doctors and dentist for local people.

"We run regular lunch clubs and intergenerational events to bring the community together along with the new dementia friendly café. And we work with local farms and producers to ensure as much as we can we have local products in the shop. By keeping it on a micro level we are trying to keep this community alive.”

Countryside Alliance awards director Sarah Lee said: “Since saving their local post office from closure in 2015, our Champions have turned this business into something exceptional that goes beyond being just a Post Office and represents a unique model for others."