'Everyone knows someone who's been touched by it' – why Sharon supports Tickled Pink

Community champion Sharon Gregory-Wareing from our Southport store is so passionate about supporting our Tickled Pink breast cancer appeal that she's always looking out for new ways to fundraise.

This year, Sharon has so far raised around £1,000 by making sweet boxes and cones and selling them to colleagues and customers.

Sharon, who's worked at the store for 18 years – 14 as community champion – said: "Tickled Pink was the first major event I organised when I became community champion and I've always supported it. I love it and the colleagues love it too.

"It's close to a lot of people's hearts in this store. We've had a couple of colleagues who have had breast cancer and everyone knows someone who's been touched by it.

"Colleagues get excited when Pudsey Bear comes out for BBC Children in Need, but for Tickled Pink they go really over the top. They loves the tombolas, the cake sales and dressing up in pink – and I can't thank them enough for that support

"Because of Covid we couldn't do that much for Tickled Pink last year, but now the shackles are off!"

So far, Sharon has sold more than 100 of her sweet boxes and cones for £10 each. They are decorated in Tickled Pink colours as well as Halloween and Christmas ones.

"I can't explain how well the sweets have gone. It's just really taken off. One colleague even bought a £100 worth.

"My neighbour makes the sweet boxes as a business so I went round there for training. At first it would take me around an hour to do just one, but I've got it down to 20 minutes now."

Sharon, who has twice fought thyroid cancer, was shortlisted for Tickled Pink Hero Of All Time at the Proud To Be Asda awards.

She said: "I'd like to thank all the customers and colleagues who voted for me. It was an absolutely fabulous event. We were all told to go to a room for a surprise and I thought it was a cake or something, but it was Gino D'Acampo! He was great and I had a picture taken with him."

Southport store manager Zara Hunter said: "Sharon always goes above and beyond in the role. She has so much passion and dedication for the job always getting great grants for our community for lots of different charities.

"Sharon is an absolute credit to the store, region and company and couldn't wish for a more dedicated community champion."

Zara says the response to Sharon's latest fundraising initiative has been amazing.

"She has dedicated so much time out of work to this because she is so passionate about raising money for this charity," said Zara.

"Customers have seen colleagues with these and when they found out it was all going to Tickled Pink, Sharon is now getting orders in for Halloween and Christmas."