Derby colleague Jason with cerebral palsy joins steps challenge for FareShare

Our inspirational colleague Jason Cole, who has cerebral palsy, is completing laps of our Derby store on walking sticks to raise money for the FareShare food charity.

Thirty-six-year-old Jason, who normally uses a wheelchair, was determined to join in with colleagues who are taking part in a fundraising step challenge.

They clapped and cheered him when he completed his first lap – about 1,000 steps – which took him about 40 minutes.

Front-end colleague Jason, who has worked at the store for nearly 20 years, says he wanted to take part after colleagues put up posters in store for their 10,000 steps a day challenge.

"At first it was joke as I was going to say I'd done zero steps in a day,'" said Jason. "But then some of my friends at work said 'Why don't you actually do it?' So I thought, why not?

Describing his first lap, Jason said: "I got round quite quickly at first, but towards the end I was getting a bit tired but I was okay though. Colleagues came round to speak to me as I was going round, so that was nice.

"I'm very proud of myself. I usually only use my sticks at home and not at work. When I saw my colleagues clap me at the end I nearly welled up!

"I'm going to try to do it every day I'm in work, so that's four days a week. It's for a good cause, so I don't mind."

Asda's Fight Hunger Create Change programme has donated £25 millions to FareShare and the Trussell Trust over the last three years, and stores also donate good quality in-date produce to FareShare.

The store's community champion Deborah Jones said: "We are so proud of Jason. He was amazing. I was in tears at the end. I've been here 14 years and have known Jason all that time.

"It was so lovely to see the colleagues and managers clapping him when he got to the end."

Jason has got a good rapport with customers and colleagues and many have already sponsored him. He has also set up this fundraising page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DeborahJones45

A number of Jason's fellow colleagues are taking part in the 10,000 step challenge, which aims to improve well-being, inclusion and, above all, be a bit of fun.