A CENTURY-OLD Post Office has been transformed by a young entrepreneur after he received a ‘six figure’ grant.

Fahid Ahsan recently took over the branch in Burnley Road, Waterfoot, and set about refurbishing the building, incorporating a milkshake bar named Strawz.

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The project by the 24-year-old, who is also planning on starting a prescription delivery service, was helped by a funding package from Yorkshire Bank, which he became a customer of last year.

Mr Ahsan, who previously worked at his family’s Post Office for five years, has said he wants to attract younger customers to his shop and for them to learn more about the services it provides.

He is also aiming to extend the shop’s opening times to 8.30am to 6pm on Monday to Saturday, which means it will be open a further five-and-a-half hours on Saturdays.

Mr Ahsan worked with Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre to help him set up his first business and has said that he is looking forward to seeing a variety of customers come through his doors.

He said: “With the Post Office, I am looking to create a hub for the community where everyone has access to a range of services in one location.

“The milkshake bar will capture our younger audience’s attention and it would be great to see more young people in the shop.

“The extended opening times enable working families to carry out errands and the prescription delivery service will be a big help for some of our older customers.

Stewart Cook, of Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Preston, said: “Fahid is an ambitious young entrepreneur who has used the Bank’s support to breathe new life into the post office incorporating services that will benefit the entire community. We are proud to have supported Fahid’s first business acquisition and look forward to continuing to support him in the future.”