We're celebrating 10 years of supporting our local communities

Sarah Cranswick from our Mount Pleasant store in Hull store has been a community champion since 2012, working alongside our charity, the Asda Foundation, to help those who need it most.

She said: "My community job isn’t just a job, it’s grown into my personality. I love going home to tell my husband and two children everything I’ve done in my day, who I’ve helped and who I’ve donated to. It teaches my children values and what kind of person we should all aspire to be." Read more from Sarah here.

Good friends Tracey Tough and Mavis Maughan have been working as community champions at our Boldon and South Shields stores ever since our community programme started 10 years ago – and they say they've loved every minute in their roles.

They work closely together on numerous projects and fundraisers in the area around their two stores and are proud of the help they've offered to local charities, schools and groups over the past decade.

Tracey, who's worked at our Boldon store for over 33 years, said: "The community programme has made a massive difference to a lot of groups over the years. It's not just about giving money and donations, it's about giving time, going along to help and being a face for Asda. We are letting groups know that Asda is willing to help.

"I'm so proud of what I do. The community role has made me a better person and in tune with my local community and the needs of the area. I wanted a change and to make a difference; I now look back and I know I have achieved that even if it is at a small level." Read more from Tracey and Mavis here.

Our Bromborough store's community champion Helen-Louise Sestan-Burton has been a passionate supporter of her local community for the last 10 years years – raising £88,000 for local groups and good causes since the Asda community programme was launched in 2012.

And on top of that she's arranged grants and funding to community projects from the Asda Foundation amounting to a total of £118,000 – bringing the overall total raised for the local community to £206,000.

Helen-Louise loves her role and is proud of the impact she's had in the local area. She said: "I’d like to think at the very least I’ve brought a smile and a warm, caring, helping hand wrapped in Asda greens." Read Helen-Louise's story here.

Our Charlton store's community champion Caroline Pettican says she's proud to have made "lots of little differences" to the dozens of local groups, schools, charities and good causes she's helped over the last decade.

"I was actually the community colleague before the community programme started," said Caroline. "I was the store's events co-ordinator before it turned into the role of community colleague and I am still here doing the role so I'm sure that tells you how much I enjoy my job!

"One thing that hasn't changed over the years is the fun aspect of the job, so no matter what event I run or which event I attend I always have fun." Read Caroline's story here.

Our Dewsbury store's community champion Sharon Kingswood says she loves supporting the local area – helping fundraise, organise donations and secure grants for local good causes.

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." Read more from her here.

Elizabeth Arbuckle from our Toryglen store has been making a difference to the local area for the last 22 years – including working as the store's community champion since our community programme started 10 years ago.

Elizabeth said: “It is heart-warming to see how many of the groups we are still working with, and through them, we meet new organisations who need our help. I have always been a people person and I love my job - I really have made so many great friendships over the years.” Read more from Elizabeth here.

Lucie Brown from our Blackwood store was one of our first community champions back in 2012. She's been offering her support to local good causes, securing grants from the Asda Foundation, providing her time and help for initiatives ranging from a lunch club for lonely and vulnerable people to cooking lessons for parents and children. She also started a 'free cuppa 'n' chat' session in the store every Friday to help tackle loneliness.

Lucie said: "I would also like to establish more initiatives that tackle loneliness as this is an issue for many, especially since the pandemic. The free 'cuppa 'n' chat' mornings are thriving and I am currently looking into providing free well-being and crafting courses to the members of the community. I believe the community role is the best role in Asda, so I feel very privileged that I have been able to make a difference in the community and hope that this continues to develop." Read more here.

Community champion Gill Gerrish from our Barrow store is affectionately known as "Mrs Asda" by the local charities, schools, groups and good causes that she's helped in the ten years since our community programme started.

She said: "Locally I am known as Mrs Asda and I receive praise for the good that Asda does within the community. The instant impact my role brings – from being a volunteer and allowing activities to take place to seeing a charity or group offer a new activity because of being able to purchase new equipment from an Asda Foundation grant – is so gratifying to me and appreciated by the local community." Read more here.

Our Longwell Green store's community champion Susan Grant says it means so much to her to see the impact our support has in the Bristol area.

She said: "I believe that being an Asda community champion has made a big difference in our local community, as there is always a group that needs our help and support through volunteering roles, Green Token Giving and Asda Foundation grants. So many organisations have benefitted in so many ways."

Susan was recovering from breast cancer when the community programme started in 2012, but since becoming a community champion six years ago she's played a key role in raising awareness and money for our Tickled Pink breast cancer charity campaign, which supports Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!.

Rachel Webber from our Gosport store has her role has helped make lots of great friends.

Rachel, who was awarded the British Empire Medal for her community work, said: "When I started the role I didn't really know many people outside of work and family as I didn't grow up in Gosport. However now I can't go anywhere without stopping and chatting with someone! My husband is always saying it's like he's married a celebrity ... well in our small town anyway! I have made some amazing friends along the way."

Jo Scott from our Pwllheli store was also awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year's Honours for her tireless work supporting the local community, and says she loves helping charities, groups, schools and good causes in her local area.

"We all need kindness and help and that’s what my community champion role at Asda Pwllheli lets me do," said Jo. "I love making a difference. I'm so passionate about helping others in both my work time and in my free time. I’m now known as Jo Asda who will try her best to help. I've developed a network of groups and good causes that can link together and help each other. For me that's lovely and what a community is all about."

And Stephen Bromby, our Boston store's community champion, has been making a difference to the local community since our community programme started in 2012. 

Stephen, who's worked for Asda for 26 years, said: "Nothing beats the feeling of local people recognising the Asda logo on my uniform and then proceeding to tell me about how we transformed their local village hall, delivered a lesson at their grandchild's school or gave an Asda Foundation grant to a local charity that's dear to their heart. It makes me immensely proud to have had the opportunity to make a difference to the community around my store." Read his blog post here.

A big thank you to all our community champions across the country for all the wonderful work they do to support local good causes!