The staff at Lloyds Pharmacy in Grayshott were delighted when it was announced at the Company's Annual Conference held in Basingstoke that they had achieved the 'Best over the Counter Sales' record in the South East region.

Nick Storey, the Regional Manager, who presented the award, said how pleased he was at the progress the branch had made, and to have the best record competing against 50 other outlets was truly outstanding.

He then announced that, in addition to the award, the Grayshott Branch is one of the first to gain the 'Centre of Excellence' accreditation, and would receive a further trophy, and went on to say that to be a truly 'World Class' healthcare organisation we must fulfil the expectations of our customers and continue to strive to provide the exceptional level of service that customers expect and deserve in Grayshott, working alongside the 'Buy in Grayshott' campaign to achieve this.

Charlotte Purcell, the branch Pharmacist Manager, added that, taking over from a long established local company, there was much concern in the village. Obviously it was difficult for a national company to assimilate into a village environment. However, working alongside the 'Buy in Grayshott' campaign and taking on board the views of the Parish Council and the Grayshott Society, progress was made. So much so that Lloyds were happy to make a huge donation to enable the open-air Opera to be put on in the village this year.

Ruth Birch, the health care assistant, said that she found working in Grayshott very rewarding. Customers tended to be very friendly and appreciative of the efforts made by staff.

Dick Smith, chairman of the 'Buy in Grayshott' campaign, congratulated the Company, and in particular the staff, for persevering in continuing to make their local pharmacy a pleasant place to visit in Grayshott.