Community champion Sharon is so passionate about making a difference

And as she celebrates 10 years as the store's community champion and the tenth anniversary of Asda's community programme, Sharon says she's still so passionate about her role and the impact it has in the local area.

Sharon said: "I love making a difference to people’s lives. I get great job satisfaction from my role. I'd just like to thank each and every person for their support over the years. I live and work in the best community and love the job I do.

"The community programme has made a massive difference. We have helped so many different groups achieve massive thing. A lot of the groups I work with say they couldn’t survive without our constant support.

"The local community groups are always very grateful. I have been presented with so many different awards over the years and thank-you letters."

One such group is Streetbikes, which was the first group that Sharon worked with when she became Asda Dewsbury's community champion. The group uses cycling as a vehicle to enhance health and well-being to people of all ages and abilities. They recycle bikes and give them away to young people and adults who could not afford them or who have health issues that could be helped by cycling. They also run mixed ability cycling sessions where people of any ability can cycle together with our adapted bikes.

Gill Greaves, from the group, said the help and support from Sharon and the Dewsbury store have given over the years has been vital.

She said: "Sharon has been amazing over the years supporting Streetbikes. We cannot thank her enough. She helped fund our van, which still use, and we have been on the Green Token Giving scheme a few times too. We have also raised money on a 24-hour cycle at the Dewsbury store."

Sharon's proudest moments include securing Asda Foundation grants of £19,826 to help improve and renovate St Mary's Community Centre in Mirfield and £12,000 to Kirkwood Hospice to pay for specialist equipment for patients.

She always does whatever she can to help food banks in the Dewsbury area and last year she was honoured to receive a certificate of appreciation from the Humanity Foodbank in Mirfield for the continued support they'd received since it opened.

Sharon says she's thankful of all the help she has received in her role, with colleagues always supporting her in-store fundraising events for good causes like Tickled Pink and BBC Children in Need.

She said: "I have always had the support of my store managers and colleagues, but three people who stand out are Paula Yates, Leigh Wale and Carol Davison who have supported me in my role over the years. I have made some lifelong friends throughout the years too.

"I was originally the event co-ordinator which was mainly just fundraising then we all got briefed about how Asda was going to invest in our community. They wanted us to make a difference to people’s lives. We got a new community board, a new title and a new uniform. I invited the Mayor to come to our launch day and he came and cut a green ribbon in front of my board."

To celebrate the community programme's 10-year anniversary, Sharon is planning to bring together some of the people she has helped and worked with over the years.

And looking forward? She said: "I'd like to see the programme grow from strength to strength and support even more people in our community."