On a Saturday afternoon you will usually find Elgin City FC’s academy manager Robbie Hope cheering on his team from the touchline at Borough Briggs which is home to the Scottish League Two side.
However, Robbie has spent the past two Saturdays on the road delivering groceries to Asda customers in the far north-west of Scotland.
When he joined our Home Shopping team at the end of March, Robbie tweeted: “I’m delighted (and very thankful) to be going out on loan for the next wee while as I swap the Black & White for the Green. Delighted to be joining #TeamAsda and playing my part in their quest to make products easily available for customers.”
Robbie, who works full time at the club in his role as Academy Manager and Child Wellbeing Officer, is one of half-a-dozen full-time staff who have been furloughed. Rather than sit out the season at home, Robbie decided to transfer to Asda.
Our Home Shopping manager at Asda Elgin, Wendy Milton, said: “We’re delighted to have him on our team. He’s quite well known locally because of all the work he does in the community with Elgin City Academy.”
Robbie, who has a five-year-old daughter, heard that Asda were looking for new recruits to help during the coronavirus pandemic and jumped at the chance.
“I'm really enjoying the job and the people here have been brilliant,” he said. “Everyone's been great, very supportive. I'm learning new skills – it's something I've never done before, especially the delivery driving.
“I saw on Facebook that Asda were looking to employ people through the isolation period. I've always wanted to be involved with Asda – I applied before to work at Asda but then the job at Elgin City came up.
“Normally there would be a football match on a Saturday afternoon with everyone screaming and cheering – today I'll be out on the road enjoying the scenery. Today I'm going out as far as Roybridge near Ben Nevis. As much as I'm working I'm also enjoying the perks of the job, like the views.
“What has made the job for me is just how appreciative people are and how much they respect what Asda is doing to protect them and the people who work for Asda. It's nice to see that community spirit everywhere.
“It's very busy - I like the fast pace of the job. Once the vans are loaded you're out for the whole day. It's nice to feel like you're helping in this time of crisis."
