Middleton newsagent and customers choose Burnside Centre for £3,500 PayPoint donation

• Ikram Vali, owner of Middleton News and PayPoint's first Community Champion Award winner, has chosen Burnside Centre as the recipients of a £3,500 donation
  
  
• After winning the award, Ikram asked his customers which local cause they wanted the community fund to support, with Burnside Centre the standout choice
  
  
• The funding will help the charity continue providing opportunities, support and activities for children, families and residents across the community

Welwyn Garden City, 16 September 2026: PayPoint today announces that Ikram Vali, owner of Middleton News in Greater Manchester, has selected the Burnside Centre to receive a £3,500 of donation awarded to him as the first winner of PayPoint's Community Champion Awards Programme.

PayPoint launched the Community Champion Awards Programme in June of 2026 to recognise retailers who go above and beyond for their local communities. Ikram was named its first winner earlier this summer, receiving the All-Rounder Award after more than 26 years serving local people through Middleton News.

The store has become a true community hub, combining busy parcel, ATM and banking services with its traditional bill payment and card processing offering, while remaining a convenient place for local people to shop and stock up. Upon receiving the award, Ikram spoke to customers about which local cause mattered most to them before making his decision. Burnside Centre emerged as the standout choice among his regulars, ensuring the award fund will support an organisation chosen by the community it serves.

Established in 1969, Burnside Centre is a registered charity and community facility in Langley, Middleton. Its services include early-years provision, health and wellbeing activities, advice and training, food and crisis support, and opportunities that bring local residents together.