Asda

When a couple told customer service host Kim from our Swindon Haydon store that they'd misplaced the medication they'd just picked up from the pharmacy she went out of her way to make sure they got it back – running to the bus stop where they were heading home to return it to them.

The couple had reported the loss to Kim while they were in the store. Kim told them that nothing had yet been handed in but that she'd let them know if there were any developments. Ten minutes later, after the customers had left the store, the medication was discovered in the customer toilets.

The store's community champion Jane said: "Kim had heard that the couple were catching the bus home so ran down to the bus stop to try and catch them. Luckily they were there so the much needed medication was returned. Amazing work, Kim."

The couple sent in a card to thank Kim saying: "To the kind and wonderful lady who went the extra mile to retrieve our misplaced medication, thank you very much."

We’re really excited to announce that we have partnered with Amy Dowden MBE to create this year’s official Tickled Pink T-shirt. All profits from the sale of the T-shirt will go to our charity partners Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel! to help fund better breast cancer treatments, vital education and life-changing support. You can buy the T-shirt online and in-store now.

Amy said: "I'm so happy to be working with Asda Tickled Pink on this year's campaign. Breast cancer awareness is something I feel so passionately about, especially after my own diagnosis. It's hugely important to know your own body and check your chest regularly from a young age, and I hope that being involved in this campaign can help to raise heaps of awareness and funds for the brilliant Tickled Pink charity partners Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!."

Asda Tickled Pink has been running for 28 years and has raised over £92m for breast cancer charities. To find out more visit: https://bit.ly/3TDttl5

A huge thank you to everyone who's supporting our Cashpot for Schools initiative which donates money to your chosen primary school whenever you shop with the Asda Rewards app. It's already raised more than £2 million for primary schools across the country.

Community champion Jo from our Pwllheli store has visited 16 local primary schools to encourage everyone to get involved. It's simple to do – go to the Asda Rewards app, opt in to Cashpot for Schools and choose your primary school. Then whenever you are shopping in store scan Your Rewards and, if you shop online, make sure Your Rewards is linked. She said: “The response has been fantastic. It really is going to help so many schools in our community." One of the schools Jo called in at was Ysgol Morfa Nefyn where headteacher Nia said: "It's such a great idea and everyone is behind it. It's so easy to do. The majority of our parents shop at Asda as it's so local to them."

Lynda, who has 14 grandchildren in local schools, said: "It's a fabulous chance for schools to get some much-needed extra cash. It's really easy to take part, just collect as you shop." And Mel, whose son goes to Ysgol Aberech, said: "I think it's a brilliant incentive. Asda are amazing in helping children during such difficult times for us all financially."

Store manager Tracy from our Hailsham supermarket says she's so proud of her 18-year-old colleague Harry who's forever getting brilliant feedback from customers for the excellent service he provides.

Harry, who's worked at the store for a year, was so keen to work on the checkouts that he chose to come into work on his 18th birthday for training. He said: "Being on the tills is my favourite thing but I had to wait until I was 18 so that I could serve alcohol. I just love talking to the customers, they are great here at Hailsham and so friendly. I always ask them how their day's been and what they are doing in the evening. A lot of the older customers come in on a Sunday after church so I talk to them about that too. I know that some members of the older generation do suffer from loneliness so I make sure that I have a good chat with them. I'm a very sociable person. I always tell the customers if there are any bargains and offers on in the store as well. The colleagues here are fantastic – we're like a family here. We're very close knit."

Tracy, who's nominated Harry for an Asda service superstar award, said: "Harry delights our customers with every transaction. To hear him on the checkout is lovely – he's such a mood enhancer. He's got such a great personality for someone so young and he's super-confident. He loves talking to all the customers and knows them all. He has his regulars who just wait for him. He's always getting great feedback from customers; they all love him, especially the older ones."

We've teamed up with literacy charity the Children's Book Project for a nationwide initiative enabling customers to donate pre-loved children's books in our stores.

We've set up donation trolleys in all our larger stores for books you've finished with to be passed on to youngsters who have very few of their own. The charity – which is on a mission to tackle book poverty in childhood – will then gift the books to youngsters through schools, community groups and food banks.

Colleagues at our Halesowen store dressed up as different book characters to show their support. Community champion Ryan from our Maryhill store is backing the initiative. He said: "All children should be able to access a book without the cost being a barrier. This is also a great opportunity for families to have a bit of a clear out and donate any books that their children may have grown out of which will then go on to benefit many other children in our area.”

Customers at our Redcar supermarket have been posting on Facebook about the kindness of checkouts colleague Helen and the rest of the team at the store after a photograph was posted of her helping one of our older customers with his shopping.

A lady who posted on the Redcar Alert Facebook group after witnessing Helen's kindness from across the street said: "Asda staff at Roseberry Square doing the most for their customers. She (Helen) walked out holding his shopping and linked his arm then stood and spoke with him the whole time we were parked. He looked really happy."

The post sparked lots of great comments about Helen and the friendliness of other colleagues at the store, like "Amazing staff in Asda, I was in there last week with little one, Helen took her to get some sweets while i fixed her scooter wheel so she could get home on it as i had shopping to carry. Truly lovely lady", "Absolutely lovely x great staff at this little Asda always love popping in", "Always so helpful and pleasant, makes a difficult day seem a lot better. They’re all lovely staff" and "Loads of them in Asda are absolutely amazing, all the time! Fantastic with my daughter to say the very least".

Helen said: “I do have a special bond with our older customers and always help them when I can. The gentleman I helped is a regular. I always have a good chat with him. He’s a canny bloke. It was lovely to see all the lovely comments on the Facebook post – I got quite emotional."

Community champion Jacqueline and store manager Hamel from our Donnington Wood store surprised the team at The Hub Newport in Shropshire with an Asda Foundation grant for £23,202 to pay for much-needed repairs and renovations.

The café is one of 65 charities and organisations receiving a total of £1.2m from the latest round of Asda Foundation Investing in Spaces and Places funding. Jacqueline said: "They had applied for funding, but had no idea they’d been successful. We went along on the premise of finding out a bit more about what they do. When I brought out the cheque the whole place went silent and then everyone started clapping and cheering. There were some tears too. It's such an amazing amount of money, I was smiling all day."

Well done to eagle-eyed porter Andy from our Wisbech store who made sure a customer got her handbag back, including £130 in cash and a mobile phone.

Andy was on his way home when he spotted the handbag in the back of a trolley in the car park so he turned his car around, collected it and took it back to the store. One of our service desk colleagues managed to get hold of the relieved lady and she came straight back to pick it up.

Store manager John said: "Luckily we were able to reunite the handbag with the customer. She was so relieved and grateful for his actions. Thank you Andy, you really do put the customer at the heart of everything you do."

Andy, who's worked at the store for 24 years, said: "The bag was hanging on the back the hook on the trolley in the trolley bay. She must have just forgotten about it. I'm glad I spotted it and we were able to get it back to her. I'm always willing to help customers – they are so friendly here."

Asda community champion Tracy has struck up a close bond with 10-year-old Alexia on her regular visits to our Ware store with her mum Carly – so when Tracy heard Alexia needed cheering up after she had an accident she invited her in for a special day seeing what she does at work.

The pair became friends when Alexia gave Tracy drawings and stopped for a chat during the pandemic, so when Tracy heard Alexia had been in hospital after she was concussed on a water slide she wanted to return the favour and help lift her spirits. She said: "I thought as a nice little gesture I would invite her in to be my little companion. She is such a lovely girl; very bubbly, very studious and very well behaved. She really enjoyed coming in – she loved every moment of it. She didn't realise I did so much for charity so she helped me with some charity work and she's going to help me with some Tickled Pink fundraising."

Carly said: "Tracy and Alexia have been talking since lockdown and have developed such a good relationship. She always makes a beeline for Tracy when she comes into the store and goes to cuddle her. Tracy is such a lovely person. Alexia loved her special day with Tracy. She helped in the cafe, watered the plants outside and went on the tills. She even made a loaf cake. She's already got her tutu and wig to help Tracy during Tickled Pink next month!"

We’re really excited to announce that we have partnered with Giovanna Fletcher and Tom Fletcher to create this year’s official BBC Children in Need T-shirt. All the profits from the sale of the Tee will go to the charity. The official Tee is now available online and in store from 30th September. https://bit.ly/3MEaqTQ

McFly singer and guitarist Tom said: "When myself and Gi got the call to help design this year’s BBC Children in Need T-shirt we jumped at the opportunity. It was so fun to reimagine what the iconic Pudsey tee could look like if we transformed it into a band style tee celebrating all the ‘best bits’ of this amazing charity. Getting down to your local Asda to pick it up is an easy way to get involved with BBC Children in Need this year to raise vital funds to empower every child to thrive and be the best they can be."

A big thank you to Sue from our Queslett store who helped an elderly customer choose a new vacuum cleaner and then, after hearing the lady didn't have anyone who could help her with it, delivered it to her home herself.

Store manager Scott said: "Sue really made this customer's day by helping her out and going the extra mile. The elderly customer didn't have any family at hand to help her transport her new purchase home, so Sue decided to take matters into her own hands by driving the customer – and her Henry hoover – home. The customer was delighted with the service she received and we are all very proud of her. It's the definition of great service."

Sue, who's a section leader and has been at the store for 26 years, has been nominated for an Asda service superstar award for her kind act.

It was a double celebration for security colleague Mick from our Derby store who married fellow colleague Dee on his 70th birthday.

The couple – who met 14 years ago when they both worked in the same home and leisure aisle – tied the knot at Derby Register Office in front of family, friends and colleagues and held a big celebration for colleagues a few days later.

Mick said: "Dee is just a lovely, lovely person with a lovely personality. We get on really well. She is honest, genuine and caring." Dee, whose son Louie also works in the store, said: "Mick actually asked me if there was anybody I liked working with at the store and I replied 'yes you!' I like the fact that he's taller than me and his Scottish accent! He's kind, loving and caring and he changed mine and my son's lives really. He made it so much better."

Checkouts colleague and first-aider Sharon from our Tiptree supermarket knew exactly what to do when a three-year-old girl started to choke on a lollipop while out shopping with her mum.

Grandmother-of-six Sharon, who's worked at the store for eight years, stepped in to help the girl's mum as she was starting to panic. Sharon told the mum to give the girl a good sharp pat with the palm of her hand between her shoulder blades, pushing upwards. She said: "After a few goes the child coughed up half a lollipop, which was such a relief. I checked all her airwaves to make sure that they were all clear. She didn't need an ambulance, I just gave her a drink of water. I'm just so grateful that the little girl was fine at the end of the day. That's the main thing. The whole thing was over in seconds."

Deputy store manager Brett said: "Not only did she take over and save the child but she went the extra mile, as that's what Sharon is like, got the child a bottle of water and got her and her sister a toy each as they were a bit shaken up. She is an absolute asset to the store and she's ridiculously modest and humble too. She did what was right. She is an angel and the most amazing person."

Fitness guru Joe Wicks teamed up with Asda community champions Shahla and Jess from our Chadwell Heath and Edmonton Green stores to help launch our new Cashpot for Schools initiative.

The scheme allows our customers to raise money for their chosen primary school, simply by shopping with our Asda Rewards loyalty app.

Shahla said: "Customers simply need to select their primary school of choice within the app and make sure they scan every time they shop – we will donate 0.5% of the value of your basket to your chosen school which doesn't impact your own savings pot. What’s more we have kickstarted each school’s Cashpot with £50 once they have registered for the initiative, and will add an additional £1 to the school pot for every customer who signs up. Just search your school by name or postcode."

Speaking at the launch at at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, in Chingford, dad-of-four Joe said: "I know first-hand from the work I’ve done in schools just how much of a difference Cashpot for Schools is going to make to kids across the country. I feel incredibly proud to be part of such an important initiative with Asda, working with a partner that is as committed to supporting families as I am. From sports facilities to nutrition, Asda shoppers’ donations will have a huge impact on primary schools around the country – and after all, who doesn’t want the very best for their kids.”

Download the toolkit with everything you need to promote Cashpot for Schools with your community here: https://bit.ly/3z64MXh

Security colleague Richard from our Cwmbran store came to the rescue when a disabled customer accidentally locked her keys and phone in her car while she was getting out her mobility scooter.

Store manager Gareth said: "The lady was getting a bit distressed and didn't know what to do as she couldn't remember her husband's phone number either. Richard called the breakdown service and also a locksmith as a back up. He was due to finish his shift at 2pm, but stayed on and waited for the breakdown service to arrive so the customer wasn't alone. He even bought her a sandwich and a cup of tea. The lady said she was eternally grateful for Richard's kindness and assistance and said his support had made her bad day a much better one. Great service Richard, well done. We're all proud of you."

Richard, who’s worked at the store for 17 years, said: "The lady was very grateful. Anyone can get into a situation like that. I just like to help people and do my best."

Sisters Bev and Tracey have been part of the fabric of our Broadstairs store since it first opened 25 years ago – and say the rest of the team there are like a giant family too.

Bev, who joined the store while it was being built, said: "It's great working together and we look out for each other. Broadstairs is a lovely store to work in and the colleagues and customers are like an extended family. I've made a lot of friends here and met hundreds of people over the years.” Tracey, who's the store's community champion, joined a few months after her sister. She said: "Bev and I both love working at Asda Broadstairs. I'm proud to tell people that Bev is my sister. They seem a bit shocked when I tell them, as we are quite different."

The store's operations manager Mike said: “I have worked with Tracey and Bev for the last 15 years and have got to know them both well. They are an absolute pleasure to work with and always have a smile on their faces and do whatever they can to put a smile on the faces of their colleagues and their customers. We are a very family-oriented store with many family relations working within our walls which makes the Broadstairs store feel like a close-knit community.”

When checkouts colleague Anne from our Tilbury store discovered that an 11-year-old boy was stranded after getting on the wrong bus she immediately stepped in to make sure he got home safely.

The boy, who'd been to Lakeside shopping centre to spend his birthday money, had no charge on his mobile and was getting quite upset as he couldn’t phone his parents to tell them where he was. Anne found a charger for his phone and spoke to his mum. Because she didn't have a car to pick him up, Anne offered to drive the boy home after her shift ended.

Fifty-eight-year-old Anne, who has two grown-up children, said: "The boy was quite upset and he thought he'd get told off by his parents. It was only a ten-minute drive for me so it wasn't too far out of my way. I told his mum that I was DBS checked and had a camera in the car and if she was okay with me taking him. When I pulled up outside their flat the mum came down and gave me a big hug, she was so grateful. I really like to help people, that's just the way I am. If anyone is in trouble I will help."

Service section leader Karen, who nominated Anne for an Asda service superstars award, said: "This is a brilliant example of a colleague going the extra mile and using self initiative and caring for our customers and the local community. Great work Anne."

Well done to Wendy from our Asda Living Teesside store who went out of her way to help an 89-year-old customer to get a new microwave up and running.

The appliance the lady had bought was unfortunately faulty so she popped into the store to see what we could do. She couldn’t bring the microwave back as it was too heavy for her to carry so Wendy, who's worked at the store for 15 years, took it on herself to drive to the customer's home and drop her off a new one before bringing the faulty one back.

Store manager Chris nominated Wendy for an Asda service superstar award for her excellent customer service, saying: "The customer was quite emotional when she explained the importance of having her microwave as it really helps her and her husband's independence. It was so nice of Wendy to go out of her way to help this customer. Thank you, Wendy."

Three-year-old Kian proudly wears his new Asda top and name badge every time he goes shopping at our Gosport store with mum Jodie and dad Kevin.

Colleagues at the store have got to know the family on their regular visits and after seeing how much Kian loves Asda and dressing up they couldn't resist sorting out a uniform for him. Jodie said: "He really loves his Asda top – it's his favourite. He was so happy when he got it and put it on straight away – he doesn't want to take it off. He'll be wearing it every time he goes into Asda now. Kian just loves going to Asda!"

The store's community champion Rachel said: “Kian is always so excited to come into our store with his mum. We're always pleased to see him and he often comes in dressed all different uniforms, so he was overjoyed when we managed to get hold of an Asda uniform just for him. He was so excited he couldn’t wait to try it on. Now he really feels like he is part of the team ... next stop checkout training!"

Many people put their feet up and relax after day's work but not 77-year-old porter Bernard from our Derby store who loves to go out running when he gets home.

Army veteran Bernard, who's worked at the store for 27 years, has tackled numerous marathons and half-marathons over the years and recently completed the Derby half-marathon, raising money for Tickled Pink which supports Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!. He said: "I just love running. When you finish your run it just makes you feel better. I go out three times a week, and one of those may be about nine miles, just nice and steady though as I've started to slow down a bit now. I don't wear headphones or listen to music. I just dream about going to the Caribbean when I'm jogging along!"

Store manager Jon said: "Bernard is a fantastic colleague who we are so proud of inside and outside work. He never fails to amaze us with his stunning achievements and upcoming goals."

Colleagues at our Clevedon store want to give a big shout-out to checkouts colleague Pete who always goes out of his way to help customers in any way he can.

Pete, who's 60, has worked at the store for three years, said: "I love my job and I love chatting to the customers. I talk to them about all sorts really ... the weather and what's going on in their lives. The colleagues here all all brilliant too. Everyone gets on with everybody else. We are a very friendly store."

Service section leader Kerry said: "Pete's an outstanding checkout operator whom customers truly admire. They often choose to queue at his till, even when another till is available!" Regular customer Dave Tucker, said: "Pete is very helpful and is always there to assist with the Asda Rewards App. I always go to Pete even if the other tills and empty." And Bridget, who comes into the store everyday on her mobility scooter, said: "I love coming to shop in Asda – especially when Pete is on the till. He's very caring and patient."

The Bolton, Burnden Park, Horwich and Farnworth stores are all supporting Bolton Lions' Christmas Toy Appeal by collecting toys that are handed into the sleighs and trolleys in the stores.

The picture shows the Seddon Construction and the Bolton Lions who all attended the launch of the appeal which was held at the Bolton store.

– Christine, Asda community champion

We took Pudsey Bear from BBC Children in Need to E5 Children’s and young people’s unit at Royal Bolton Hospital where he met children and staff.

We gave out gift bags full of Pudsey activities to children and Pudsey also presented them with an Asda Foundation cheque for £400 so they can provide craft activities on the unit. It was lovely to see the children smiling and to thank the NHS staff for all their hard work.– Sarah, Asda community champion

We had a fantastic day fundraising for Tickled Pink with a static bike ride in the foyer and a tombola.

Thank you to all our generous customers and colleagues who helped us raise an incredible £767.88! We cycled a total of 170 miles in six hours – the equivalent of the Way of the Roses cycle route from Morecambe to Bridlington.

– Sarah, Asda community champion

I had the pleasure of getting together with The Darren Deady Foundation to present them with an Asda Foundation cost of living cheque for £1,000 and a green tokens one for £300. Well done to a fabulous good cause!

– Sarah, Asda community champion

We worked together as a team and raised £517.45 for Tickled Pink by doing a foyer bike ride.

We cycled an amazing total of 202 miles the equivalent of Asda Horwich to Edinburgh! I’m so proud of our achievement and want to thank all colleagues and customers for their support and donations.– Sarah, Asda community champion

I had the pleasure of presenting an Asda Foundation cheque for £1,430 to The Hub at Westhoughton to help them update their computers so they continue to offer computer sessions to the local community!

– Sarah, Asda community champion

We've handed out an amazing £4,364 in Asda Foundation grants to charities and local good causes from our store so far this year!

It’s been really rewarding to be able to support our community after such a difficult few years and it’s been lovely to meet everyone and see the wonderful work they've been doing with the support of the grants. Among those to have received funding are Kirkwood Close Residents (£1,500) Senior Solutions (£780), Horwich Parish C of E School PTA (£555), BYB@Blackrod (£629) and Bolton CVS (£900). Congratulations to everyone.

– Sarah, Asda community champion