Tyneside Pensioners Treated To Festive Day By Asda Community Elves

Asda’s Boldon store and South Shields store teamed up for the event at the Charles Young Centre in South Shields, which has received over £30,000 from the Asda Foundation since 2013 to refurbish the facility.

Mavis Maughan, community champion at Asda South Shields and Tracey Tough, community champion at Asda Boldon organised the Christmas event, consisting of a three-course meal followed by carol singers, bingo prizes and a performance from James Bassett, a local 13-year-old ukulele player who impersonates George Formby.

Gordon Robertshaw, the Charles Young Centre’s chairman, said: "A big thank you to Asda for these grants – they’ve made a world of difference. Since the grants we’ve almost quadrupled our footfall – it’s been amazing. We used to hold five or six kids’ parties a year; now we have 100.

“Mavis and Tracey have really been tremendous – their enthusiasm is infectious.”

Asda South Shield’s community champion, Mavis Maughan, said: “The whole day was brilliant – it went really well. The elderly people were coming up to us at the end saying they had had a lovely time and we had done ourselves proud.”

Tracey Tough added: “It was fantastic; everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and they were asking when the next one is to put in their diaries! It was a pleasure to be involved.”

The duo are joining forces to help out at other community events this Christmas – including helping to cook meals for the homeless and another event for pensioners held at a local school.

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