He has been in charge of the post office in Upper Commercial Street for more than five years, but his involvement with the community has not been confined to the shop's four walls.

Youth work and visiting the elderly are among the range of voluntary work Ismail carries out and in recognition of his work Post Office Ltd has put him in the final three of its contest covering Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Ismail's business development manager Ken Ward put his name forward for the accolade because of his 'exceptional work in the community.'

Ismail said: "Post offices are part of the community now. We are not just a business and don't just sell stamps. We try to help our customers out as well as the wider community. We go the extra mile."

He said he was delighted when he heard he was through to the final three of the contest.

The sub-postmaster of 13 years is a member of the Young People's Committee, based at the Al-Hikmah Centre, which organises sports and social activities for the youth of Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, and Heckmondwike areas.

He has been an FA-qualified coach for the last five years and coaches children every Sunday morning.

He said: "Coaching children lifts my spirits, making me feel better in myself because I am giving something back to the community and inspiring others."

In January this year Ismail was appointed to the board of trustees of the West Yorkshire Youth Association, which was set up in 1904.

He regularly visits the Milen Day Centre to have coffee with local pensioners, updating them on services available to them at the post office and any information, such as the national free bus pass coming into force next month.

The 37-year-old has also been invited to talk about his experiences at work to pupils at Batley Business and Enterprise College to help them with their GCSE business project.

Pupils have also taken up work placements at the post office.
The winner of the sub-postmaster of the year will be announced on April 12.