Kind-hearted delivery driver gives £150 Christmas tips to the Peeblesshire Foodbank

Kev Rae is well known in the town of Peebles as the delivery driver that goes above and beyond for his customers.

And last week, the Hermes employee was dubbed the “best courier” by townsfolk after donating £150 to the foodbank.

Speaking to The Southern this week, Kev, who works with his daughter Shannon, said he feels privileged to serve the community of Peeblesshire.

"We’re so lucky to have this job,” he said. “ Especially during the pandemic when people couldn’t get out working and were losing their jobs.

"The volume of parcels we delivered trebled, and we had to get used to a whole new way over working, keeping our distance and no longer getting customers to sign for packages.”

Despite the safety measures and wearing a mask, Kev still manages to have “a wee blether” with his customers.

“I love having a chat with folk, and I have a keen interest in the welfare of elderly people. Me going to their doors, could have been the only contact they had for that whole day,” said Kev.

Regularly posting on community forums, Kev likes to make sure his customers are updated on deliveries if there are any problems. “It’s all part and parcel of the job, it's what we do.”

With many people doing their shopping online due to the pandemic, Kev says it was his busiest Christmas, and his customers showed their gratitude.

He explained: “I was getting wee boxes of biscuits and chocolates, but when I started to receive monetary tips I thought oh, I’m going to treat myself to something.

“Then, I suddenly realised I really didn’t want or need anything. There are so many worthwhile charities and organisations, but the foodbank sprung to mind straight away.

"The foodbank isn’t just about volunteers gathering in food and delivering it to people in need. They have overheads just like every other charity.”

He added: “Although we’ve done well out of the pandemic work wise, the world is so fragile just now and things can literally change in a heartbeat. I could end up knocking on the door of the foodbank for help, and that’s why I did it.”

Kev told Peeblesshire foodbank manager Fiona Dalgleish, he had a something to deliver to her, and she was overcome with emotion when that item arrived in the form of a £150 cash donation to the charity.

"Bless her, she was really emotional,” said Kev. “It made me feel so good to know I had helped.”

The following day, the delivery driver saw a post on social media that gave him food for thought.

"The foodbank put out an appeal for baby food as they had run out, so maybe the £150 went towards some much-needed supplies like that.”

He added: “ It’s the first time I’ve helped the foodbank, but it certainly won’t be the last.”

Paying tribute to Kev as “the cheeriest courier in Scotland”, foodbank manager Fiona, said: “He is a pure gold gentleman and the community is lucky to have him.”