Our wonderful colleague Brenda Wright only expected to work at our Bedminster store for a few months when she joined on a temporary contract ... but 30 years later she's still with us and making a big difference to the local community.
The grandmother of two, who will be 71 this year, said: "I only came to work temporary on the checkouts, but they must have liked me as they offered me a permanent job!"
After spending time on the checkouts as a supervisor, Brenda then worked as a greeter for 18 years.
She said: "As a greeter I met lots and lots of people. You used to get the regular customers who would always stop for a chat and then you would get those who would insist on telling you what operations they'd had recently and what they'd had put in or taken out! I also managed to catch a few shoplifters in my time too. Every day was different!"
Then in 2012 Brenda became the store's community champion, working closely with local charities, groups, schools and good causes.
She said: "I absolutely love my job, it's just so rewarding. It's so varied – no two days are the same. I get so much satisfaction out of it, especially volunteering for my various groups and charities."
Brenda, who has been married to Bob for 50 years, volunteers regularly at Redcliffe Lunch Club, where she serves lunch and calls out the bingo numbers, as well as the Lifeskills Education Centre, and Age UK charity shop.
In her role as community champion she has secured many thousands of pounds worth of donations for groups, including a £20,000 Asda Foundation grant for Lifeskills and a similar one for £21,400 for Headley Park Community Centre.
She said: "One of the the most rewarding parts of the job is visiting the various schools in the area and promoting healthy eating. It's really good fun."
Brenda works closely with her fellow community champions in the Bristol area and is a staunch supporter of our Tickled Pink campaign which raises money for Breast Cancer Now.
The store's manager Stuart Goldspink said: "Brenda is an inspiration to everyone at our store. She is very proud of what she does and is always helping out in the heart of the community. She is a very committed community champion who works tirelessly for campaigns such as Tickled Pink."
On a recent visit to the store, Asda senior vice president Anthony Hemmerdinger met Brenda and congratulated her on her long service too.
