Chesser checkouts colleague Linda honoured for always going ‘above and beyond’

Congratulations to Linda Gray from our Chesser store who has been named "Unsung Hero of the Year" at the Proud to be Asda Awards for her selfless acts in store and helping her local community.

During the pandemic, she delivered surprise afternoon tea boxes to her elderly neighbours’ doorsteps to let them know they weren’t alone, and last year she sent shoe boxes for civilians in Ukraine – all while looking after her husband, who has Alzheimer's.

Colleagues described Linda, who works on the checkouts, as having "a strength that she does not realise."

Linda said: “I was really shocked to have won this award and am really delighted. I just like to make sure everybody is okay; I enjoy doing it and it’s not a hardship for me at all. Even now after Covid there are still a lot of people who are struggling, and I just want to make sure everyone is looked after."

Store manager Ewan Carrigan said: "We are so proud of Linda and the amazing work she does – she’s truly an asset to the store and we’re all so delighted for her. She’s always looking out for us and bringing in her home-made sweet treats, and she has such a charitable heart.

"Last year, she made great efforts to pack and send shoe boxes to Ukraine to help those in need. No one deserves this award more, and we are very lucky to be her colleagues."

In total there were 3,177 nominations for the awards, which were created to recognise individuals who have really stood out for going above and beyond for colleagues, communities, and each other. The Proud to be Asda Awards aim to shine a spotlight on those who have made a genuine difference in their workplace.

Linda was announced as an overall winner for one of the nine categories which were shortlisted for the Proud to be Asda awards.