Sainsbury's

4 4 M

HERE'S TO A SPARKLIN CHRISTMAS

For everyone at Sainsbury's

JeaR;?aher( ' Jean Hamilton's work H K

for The Samaritans wins her Local Hero title

Inside... In the news 3 Acquisition of JB Beaumont

convenience stores

Your news 4 IVIajor success at 0 awards 5 Customer corner 6 On the beat at Bridgend 7 Christmas deals with

Sainsbury's Mobile

Industrvnew 8 Health tops Government

agenda 9 Under-age drinking

Features 10 Local heroes 12 Here's to a cracking Christmas

Product news 14 No-salt crisps, pea shoots and

tomatoes in Tetra Paks 20 Product tests

Competitions 15 Win an iPod and a family

walking holiday

People news 16 Oldbury colleagues raise

£££s for charity 18 TellJustin 19 Shining stars

J l J l With less than two weeks to go to M M Christmas, I know that you have all been working harder than ever making our stores look fantastic and delivering great service to our customers. You don't need reminding of what an important time Christmas is for us, so please keep doing the things that impress our customers, exceed their expectations, and keep them coming back in the New Year.

We have got some great products for customers, as was proved at our recent success at the Quality Food and Drink Awards. We won the coveted Gold Award for our Taste the Difference lemon thins, plus nine Silver awards and had 38 products nominated - far more than any of our competitors. This is a fabulous achievement, and

something we should be very proud of. You have hopefully had the chance to try some of these products for yourself, so make sure you tell customers about them, and encourage them to try them too! As the Journal went to press it has also been announced that we have won the title of Meat Retailer of the Year at the Meat Industry Awards, and Best Retail Product for Taste tfie Difference pork. What a great time to win all these awards, just before Christmas when our customers will be on the lookout for something really special.

And after the excitement of Christmas has gone, we have some superb offers in the January sale to tempt customers. This is another great opportunity for us to drive sales, and we need to make sure that our stores continue to look good and that we are delivering great service that keeps customers coming back.

Thank you all for your hard work and commitment this year. It has been a challenging time but I am very excited about the future, and firmly believe that by living Sainsbury's values we can start to make Sainsbury's great again.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

VA>^

if

Inthenews Keep up to date with the latest news across the company

Interim results Sainsbury's announced half-year results in line with stock market and investor expectations. The key highlights were: • underlying operating profit from continuing operations was £161 million, a decrease of £160 million compared to 2003 • underlying profit before tax decreased to £131 million (2003: £366 million). After exceptional costs, the loss before tax in the first half was £39 million (2003 profit: £323 million) • total sales were up 3.5 per cent but like-for-like sales excluding petrol were down 0.9 per cent • the sale of Shaw's Supermarkets in the United States on 30 April 2004 and the subsequent return of capital • investment in Sainsbury's Supermarkets through lower prices, extra costs in the supply chain and higher wastage from the drive to improve availability • business review exceptional costs, as announced on 19 October 2004

Chief executive Justin King said: "We are clear on the actions we need to take to make Sainsbury's great again. We have re-opened Buntingford depot to help improve availability and deliveries from this location started in late November. New, improved products are being added to our ranges and the recruitment of 3,000 additional store colleagues is also well under way:" J

New convenience acquisition Sainsbury's has acquired JB Beaumont Ltd, a long-established neighbourhood convenience store operator with six stores in the East Midlands ranging from 2,220 sq ft to 5,100 sq ft.

The acquisition is Sainsbury's third this year after Bells in February and Jacksons in August. Chief executive Justin King said: "It underlines our commitment to grow sales in our convenience business by £400m by the end of 2007/8. We currently have 260 convenience stores accounting for just over

two per cent of the convenience store market."

JB Beaumont's six stores will operate as a separate business unit and will continue to be run by

the current strong management team led by managing director Louise Beaumont (left). All 193 members of Beaumont's staff will transfer with the business.

Jim McCarthy, managing director of convenience said: "We are delighted that we have been able to acquire JB Beaumont Ltd and increase our presence in the East Midlands. They have quality stores in good locations and it fits perfectly with our new convenience strategy to grow our portfolio of neighbourhood convenience stores."

Make it a double The BWS team is celebrating after winning two awards in less than a month.

The title of European Wine and Spirits Retailer of the Year was awarded to Sainsbury's for the second year running. The win was announced at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition Awards in October.

The trophy was awarded for Sainsbury's staff education programme, focus on added value promotions in place of standard discounting, and range, quality and innovation.

The award comes hot on the heels of Sainsbury's triumph at the Retail Industry Awards where we won Off Licence Retailer of the Year - and also Seafood Retailer of the Year.

The first Retail Support Team has gone live at Basingstoke (jepot. The team will ensure that Retail and Supply Chain work together.

Your news All the news from around Sainsbury's

Thin king of Q This year's Quality Food and Drink Awards (Q Awards) have given Sainsbury's a reason to celebrate - for the second year running.

The Q Awards are the highlight of the food and drink calendar, and the most talked about awards in the industry.

At a glitzy presentation ceremony in November, Tasfe the Difference Lemon Butter Thins were named winners of the coveted Gold Award.

Speaking of the result, Sean Barnes, a product technologist who developed the thins alongside Bridget Townsend, said: "We're thrilled. We were hoping to do well, but we didn't dare hope we would win the Gold Award for the second year running. It's a great result."

This wasn't the evening's only good news. In addition to winning the ceremony's most prestigious accolade, Sainsbury's also took away nine Silver Awards for products deemed to be the best in their category

That's even better than last year, when we took Gold for our Organic Somerset Brie and Silver for five other products. It's also a much better result than our major competitors, including Tesco and Asda, neither of whom won anything, M&S who won six Silver Awards and Waitrose who won two Silver Awards.

Chief Executive Justin King was delighted with

the news. "This is a really great achievement and something that we can all feel very proud of," he said. "It is especially impressive that we managed to exceed last year's success."

Tea towel sales have soared as children snap them up to use as headdresses in school nativity plays!

Stamford Street sold The site of Sainsbury's old headquarters at Stamford Street is to be sold to a leading property developer for £48 million and contracts have already been exchanged.

Said chief executive

Justin King: "This is another step towards achieving the cash flow targets we announced in October and comes quickly on the back of the sale of five retail units at London Colney which raised proceeds of £64 million."

Now customers can save online Sainsbury's Bank's new online savings account is being launched to customers in January.

Colleagues were given a head start when they got the chance to try the Internet Saver account back onl December

The Internet Saver account is extremely easy to use and offers an attractive rate of interest - 5.00 per cent AER/gross pa on all balances, and the minimum opening balance is from just £1.

Customers will be able to open and manage their accounts online, 24 hours a day and ask for advice at the online helpdesk. They will be able to view their savings account details, including their balances and transactions and will also be able to transfer money between their Sainsbury's Bank savings accounts and make payments to other accounts held in their name. There's no need to give notice when withdrawing funds and it's easy to pay bills online.

For more information, go to sainsburysbank.co.uk.

The gross rate is the contractual rate of interest payable before the deduction of income tax at the rate specified by law (currently 20 per cent). AER stands for annual equivalent rate and illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded each year Variable interest will be paid into the account annually. Withdrawals are by transfer to another account only. Only available to customers aged 18 or over

p transport award for Dee arsons, national transport telling her she had won, inviting iirt manager for the supply , has won an operational lence award at this year's Bn in Transport Awards. 5 pictured right, with Chris leycroft-Smith of Iveco. « was nominated by her , who filled in all the forms ept the proposal a secret her for months. Then, in ler, Dee got a phone call

her to a celebratory dinner at London's Savoy Hotel. "It was a bit of a shock, but also a real honour," she said. "I think my team knew I wouldn't have put myself forward so they did all the paperwork without me!"

Dee won the award for her work on standardising driver training, supported by driver instructors throughout the supply chain.

Also, a year ago, she set up a centre of excellence for car drivers who want to train for LGV Class 1 driving, and has been actively involved in health and safety and driver training. She has also organised school visits on road safety and is now investigating health and safety support for retail colleagues, including store back door risk assessments.

CUSTOMER CORNER

Customers have their say on the issues that matter

Health matters... Ben receives his award from Phil Richardson, retail sales manager at Tate & Lyie

Sweet success for Ben Ben Crowther, brand manager, retail marketing has won the Tate & LyIe young business managers' challenge at the IGD food industry awards 2004.

His challenge was to write a 2,000 word proposal on health and obesity and what the food Industry should be doing about It. He then presented his case to a pi of judges. Ben argued tha' issue cannot be ignored a reguires collaboration fro key stakeholders if the industry is to avoid furthi criticism and legislation.

Q l'm disappointed to see you're not providing a turkey ordering

service this year. Can you guarantee that I'll be able to get a turkey in my local store?

A Last Christmas, we let some customers down with our

turkey ordering service. We want our customers to be able to depend on us for their Christmas essentials, so you'll find 17 per cent more turkeys in our stores this year and an improved range of premium birds. These will be available in-store from 20 December. We are confident customers will be able to get the turkey they want in Sainsbury's this Christmas.

Q I bought a poinsettia last week but the leaves have

started to fall off. What am I doing wrong?

A lt you have lost some of the lower leaves, this may well

be due to poor light. Placing the plant in a well-lit position can help in reducing leaf loss. Chill or excessive heat are bad for poinsettias. They are fragile plants that need careful handling to avoid damage.

To help prevent leaves and branches breaking off when the sleeves are removed,

this year, we have grown plants with a more acute branch angle.

Big^pp

m%i^:^ % ^ i j^f

Diane sets firm foundation Diane Ross, APTM at the Washington regional office, is celebrating after winning the IGD's top prize for her assignment on supply chain management. Diane wrote the assignment as part of her foundation degree in management.

The award was presented by Rollo Giles, who represented the sponsors Glaxo SmithKline.

i IndiviL I responsibility iteamdeii^'"

A good investment JjM^M

Proud moment... Surbiton colleagues celebrate the IIP success

Sainsbury's has retained its Investors in People status, three years on from the original accreditation.

An external team of reviewers talked to more than 3,500 colleagues across the business before delivering the verdict. Colleagues were asked for their views on development opportunities, business communication and planning a how they felt about working for Sainsbury's.

Johanna Jones, gualifications account manager, who led the IIP project, said: "The reviewers told us that colleagues had been incredibly open and honest in their

feedback and demonstrated a real passion and commitment to get the company back on track. They also had high praise for the way stores, depots and support centre colleagues had arranged the review days.

"Our feedback has confirmed that we have the basic framework In place, but there

are many improvements we can make that will support our journey in making Sainsbury's great again. We are now working on a schedule of improvements based on the feedback received by the external review team."

The final report will be made available on Learning at Sainsbury's, the Training Connect site.

can make that will support our journey

Larkfield and sales soar Hollywood star Dave Prowse -better known as Darth Vader from Star Wars - visited Larkfield store in October andtakings went upa massive 64 per cent!

Dave Prowse is a veteran of over 23 movies and has appeared alongside stars such as Harrison Ford, Sir Alec Guinness and David Niven. He is also famous as the Green Cross Code man. But it's Star

The team at Langlands Park, has been awarded the TibbetS Britten Retail Manager's award for Health & Safety for the fourth year running.

Wars that made him famous - and 300 eager fans queued around the store for a chance to meet the great man himself.

The visit was the brainchild of the store's Sainsbury's Bank representative, Frank Rimer, who is an old friend of Dave. Frank said: "I thought the launch of the Star Wars trilogy DVD box set would be a good opportunity to promote the store."

And he was right! Takings were up by an astounding 64 per cent that day. And Dave's chosen charity, PHAB, received £1,200 from the sale of signed photos, DVDs and a raffle.

Dave was so thrilled with the excellent treatment he received from the store, that he said he would be happy to return any time.

Online shopping's getting better

Christmas deals from Sainsbury's Mobile The Sainsbury's Mobile team has put together two great deals for colleagues this Christmas.

You'll get all the benefits of Sainsbury's Mobile along with double minutes and double texts, half-price line rental, 2,000 Nectar points, free bluetooth and a free top-end handset - making

J thesetwoof the best deals around.

Free Sony Ericsson T610 • Nine months' half-price line rental • Double talk and double text for the first three months of your contract if you register before 31 December 2004 • 2,000 Nectar points, plus two points for every £1 spent on your bills • 02 50, Leisure Time Plus, Leisure Time All and 100 tariffs • Free bluetooth

Free Nokia 6230 handset • Double talk and double text for the first three months of your contract if you register before 31 December 2004 • 2,000 Nectar points plus two points for every £1 spent on your bills • O2 Leisure Time All or 100 tariffs • Free bluetooth

To find out more, call 0800 587 5561, quoting T0306. Offers available until 31 December 2004.

Better navigation and improved technology are lielping online customers complete their shopping in record time.

Since the launch of the new site, customers have actually phoned the call centre to say how much they enjoy using the site - which is great feedback for the online team. One customer wrote to say: "I love the improvements, especially the simple, much faster one click to add an item, although adding the special offers at the top of the aisle is great, too. I spent half the time I normally do. Thank you Sainsbury's."

Additionally, all Sainsbury's colleagues are now able to enjoy an exclusive, unbeatable offer of two DVDs at a time for just £9.99. This monthly fee can't be beaten in the DVD rental market - and you can have a free two-week trial too!

Just choose your movies online and they'll be delivered first class through your door. With no late fees, no contract and more than 23,000 titles to choose from, it's great value.

To access this exclusive Sainsbury's colleague deal, visit www.sainsburys.co. uk/dvdrentalcolleague

Police presence reduces crime in Bridgend There's been a dramatic reduction in crime at Bridgend store - thanks to a partnership between the store team and the local police.

The store had been a target for drive-offs and theft and this was proving a headache for store manager Simon Lean.

The police had reguested the use of an office, and the store seized the opportunity, emptying out a room to ensure the police could be accommodated.

This is the first initiative of its kind with any supermarket in Wales. Local media including HTV and BBC covered the opening, advertising the fact that potential criminals are not welcome!

The store and police now work hand-in-hand to reduce the amount of theft.

Simon explained: "The officers are out on the beat most of the time, but their presence has made a huge difference, especially at the PFS where they keep one of their police cars. Drive-offs are down, thefts are reduced and arrests are up."

I i • " ' ~-4a* I K d I

Need a loan? Then check out Sainsbury's Bank's great rate for colleagues, friends and family. Borrow any amount from £3,000 to £25,000 at just 6.1 per cent APR - now that's something to warm up your winter. Phone 0800 096 0541 quoting STAFF for more information.

WWzztoOz... Maybe you could use your points for flights for a family trip to Australia

save money this Christmas spend your points on CDs and DVDs

500 = £2.50 points off your shopping

Win one million Nectar points Did you l<now that every Christmas l I B A r — — - - - — - - — — - - - — — — i our customers save an amazing y - I ^ N e c t a r • £50m just by spending their Nectar V v J How much money could you save off your points in Sainsbury's? H shoppingat Sainsbury's with one million J

As well as getting a cheaper • ' ^ l P°'' ' ' | shop we'd also lil<e our customers B l j H Answer: I to use the saving to add extra K ^ l I products to their trolley such as J * ' ^ Name: j gifts, beauty products, wine, CDs • j | ^ B Address: ' and DVDs. j ^ ^ I

Most of all we'd like them to i l n l ' notice this discount they receive fl|H Work location: ' through Nectar. Every 500 points J ^ ^ H ' they spend is worth £2.50 off their ^ ^ H Contact tel no: I shopping. j ^ H ^ Nectar card no (last 11 digits only): {

To thank our colleagues for ^ ^ ^ ^ supporting Nectar this year, we ^ ^ ^ B i have f ive pr izes of one mi l l ion 9 [ H Entries to: Competitions, SamsburK'sJourna/, | Nectar po in ts up fo r grabs fo r our ^ H H j 33 Holborn, London EC1N2HT, to arrive no later | COlleaaues l ^ ^ ^ H than12 January 2005. Entrants must work for or

^ ^ H I ^ H be retired from the Sainsbury Group. Only one ' How you spend you r po in ts is up H ^ H entry per person. Photocopies are acceptable. I

t o you . Maybe you could use t h e m t l l ^ H I See entry conditions on page 2. I for flights for a family trip to o b ^ ^ ^ B L _ _ _ _ — _ - . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . - . j Australia, take your family to an Odeon cinema once a week for a wholeyearor perhaps you'll use B M ^ B M ^ B M i B t M U l B f * K " * I K ^ t i W B H them to save money (£5,000) off your shopping at Sainsbury's.

For your chance to win one million Nectar points simply B l U S m i M S I i l l S l i r i l l l T i l answer the guestion to the right.

Spending your points this I S | ^ ^ S E V 9 5 f § l i m s B i l V 6 f S l l l S l ! Q Christmas? Enjoy the saving!

save an amazing £50nn

industrvnews We look at the big issues affecting retailers and the grocery industry

Government tackles nation's health Our health is top of the political agenda following the publication of the Government's Public Health White Paper*.

The document aims to make it easier for people to change their lifestyle so they eat more healthily, exercise more and smoke less.

Sainsbury's has led the industry for more than a decade with its healthy eating Initiatives. It's a topic that's important to customers - and therefore important to us.

The key Initiatives the Government wants the food industry to address are: • clearer nutritional labelling • voluntary measures to cut sugar and fat • closer safeguards on the advertising of alcohol.

These are all issues that are already being addressed by Sainsbury's. Marketing director Stephen Nelson said: "We're committed to helping our customers lead a healthy lifestyle and have led the way in offering healthier choices. Our customers have told us they want clearer nutritional labelling on the front of every

Tilly takes the sprout taste test Five-year-old Tilly Lisboa is helping crack one of the biggest problems facing customers: Why don't children like Brussels sprouts?

In the run-up to Christmas - the biggest sprout-selling period of the year, Tilly is working with Sainsbury's top food technologists, tasting several different varieties, cooked in lots of different ways.

Vegetable buyer Russell Crowe said: "Finding a Brussels sprout that children like to eat is every food retailer's dream.

"Knowing that children don't like sprouts is one of the biggest reasons why customers don't buy more of them and we want Tilly to give us her verdict on several new, sweeter varieties.

"Although we already have a team of highly-gualified food technologists who inspect

product and that's what we're doing. The report also outlines a number of

initiatives aimed at promoting health and weflbeing through the workplace including a healthy business assessment award "Investors j. in Health" to encourage employers to promote healthy lifestyles.

Sainsbury's health pledge We have also announced a health pledge: • to limit the amount of fat, sugar and salt in products ranged for children • to promote healthier eating choices throughout the year and ensure that healthier choices are accessible and affordable • to support campaigns, activities, products and information that promote healthier foods as part of a healthier lifestyle • to remove sweets from checkouts. * White Papers are consultation documents issued by the Government when it has a clear idea of what it wants to do. The White Paper then offers people and organisations the chance to comment on the d"*-"' " ' "- ^-r --isals.

everything we sell, the best way to find out why children don't like Brussels sprouts is to ask a child.

"We're pretty confident that our new, sweeter variety will win the day, but even so, our search for the ideal child-friendly sprout will continue."

ding a Brussels sr f o

Sainsbury's has launched the world's first beer brewed with Fairtrade coffee. It contains the sanne amount of caffeine as a normal cup of coffee.

tat sat fat 13g 9g .

^

Wheel helps strike a balance Sainsbury's Is leading the market with our brand new "Wheel of Health". The new labelling system is launching In January on 30 own-label products and will be rolled out over the next few years, a first for any food retailer.

The "Wheel of Health" features on the front of packs, colour-coding five key nutrients - salt, fat, saturated fat, added sugars and the number of calories per serving- as red = think, orange = OK, or green = go.

Marketing director Stephen Nelson said: "We want to provide our customers with nutritional Information in the most effective way possible so that they can choose for themselves how best to achieve a balanced diet. We believe our approach will be Invaluable for the entire food retail Industry."

The customer Insights team tested this with thousands of customers and found that they find It clear and informative. Customers who previously thought health was not Important said that seeing the Information presented in this way could make them change their eating habits.

Sainsbury's will be giving more space on pack to nutritional Information than ever before and the "Wheel of Health" will not replace the existing tables on the back of packs.

Calling time on under-age drinking Under-age drinking is a problem for retailers, and it's a problem that is not going to go away.

The Government says that_ stopping under-18s buying alcohol is the most important goal of the alcohol harm reduction strategy. Licensing minister Richard Caborn MP has said categorically: "It is illegal to sell alcohol to people under 18, it is illegal to sell to people who are drunk, and we expect all retailers to trade within the law."

Strong words, indeed. And to reinforce the message, local authorities and police forces have been targeting supermarkets -including Sainsbury's - in a bid to clamp down on the sale of alcohol to youngsters.

The campaign saw local trading standards officers carry out test purchases along with young people to check that retailers were complying with the law.

The results show that Sainsbury's, along with other retailers, could improve in this area. Now the Home Office has announced a new campaign for the Christmas period.

Robin Lassiter, central retail operations director, said: "As a responsible retailer, we take this issue very seriously and support the Government's alcohol harm reduction strategy.

ndividual esponsibility-;eam delivery

Richard Caborn MP, licensing minister

"Christmas is a time when colleagues need to be especially vigilant as they are bound to be under increased pressure during Christmas trading.

"We know this can be a tough issue, especially for checkout colleagues who have a legal responsibility to challenge any shopper they suspect of buying alcohol under-age. If you're in any doubt, ask for proof of age. We will support any colleague who challenges and refuses to sell

alcohol to customers they think are under-age."

It's not just alcohol Of course, alcohol isn't the only age-restricted product that colleagues need to look out for. Cigarettes, knives, lottery tickets, party poppers, paracetamol and liqueur chocolates must not be sold to anyone under 16, while lighter fuel, fireworks and some DVDs are restricted to over-IBs. Even if customers claim to be

buying the items as a Christmas gift, it's still illegal for stores to sell them to anyone under-age.

Checkout checks • all colleagues must be trained on age-restricted sales • follow procedures carefully, and remember to inform a supervisor of any refused sale, to ensure the refusals log is completed daily • all cashiers under 18 must call a supervisor to authorise the sale of alcohol and other age-restricted items • self-checkout attendants must check for customer proof-of-age where the prompt arises.

Bells rings up responsible drinking award Sainsbury's has scooped a double at the Responsible Drinks Retailing Awards.

Sainsbury's at Bells picked up top prize in the Off Trade Retailers - Multiple Convenience sector, while Sainsbury's at Jacksons took the runner-up spot.

The awards were launched earlier this year by the British Retail Consortium in response to the Government's alcohol harm reduction strategy. They aim to highlight the best exponents of responsible drinks retailing in both the on and off trade sectors.

RETAIL EYE • Newspaper reports indicate that ASDA's sales may be experiencing a slowdown, with The Times reporting that sales rose four per cent compared with eight per cent the previous quarter. • ASDA Is reported to be targeting WH Smith In the run-up to Christmas, slashing more than £7m off the price of best-selling books. • TESCO has published its Q3 trading statement. Group sales rose 12.2 per cent, with UK sales rising 12.3 per cent. • TESCO has received one of the largest ever fines handed out for breaches of food safety rules after one of its flagship stores at New Maiden was

found to be infested with mice and selling mouldy food. • MARKS & SPENCER has unveiled a major management shake-up at the same time as reporting a fall in profits. • MARKS & SPENCER has also unveiled a new format store at the Festival Place shopping centre in Basingstoke. The store features mainly white decor, with fixtures and fittings in the new, vivid M&S red replacing the familiar green livery. • THE BIG FOOD GROUP has announced poor half-year results. Loss before tax was £9m, compared with a profit In 2003 of E2.8m,

' ^ P O M " ^ ^ f e ^ ^

, ^* ! (&«.f

ml

«g50gg«s». MM

^ ^ M %

Dogged determination... Tara Skillington tirelessly helped the Retired Greyhound Trust

CATEGORY WINNERS

,nners, 'ho all received a £300 :heque for their chosen ;harities along with a jrtificate, were:

Animals

works to rescue ex-racing greyhounds. She brings negotiating and communication skills to the charity and has shown great strength of character and bravery in often-dangerous situations. Tara is never afraid of putting her wellies on and getting stuck in.

Caring

Cross has raised over £20,000 for the study of Infant death since she lost her seven-month-old daughter to cot death syndrome in 1978. The tragedy set her on a 25-year path of fundraising. She finds fundraising is a positive way of dealing with the tragic event and also keeps her daughter's name alive.

a self-help group for people recovering from cancer for six years. She has only missed one session due to a holiday, when it took four team members to cover her work! Irene experienced a cancer scare herself so she knows how important such support Is.

Hail to the heroes They've given up their spare time to help others and raised money for a huge range of organisations. Now it's the turn for Sainsbury's Local Heroes to take the spotlight

Respect for the individual

The title of Sainsbury's Local Hero 2004 has gone to Jean Hamilton from Red Bank Road. Jean spends more than 40 hours a month volunteering for The Samaritans.

"I get great satisfaction from my work for The Samaritans," said Jean. "It means a lot to me knowing that I may be able to give people a bit more hope, especially when I've taken a call that's very meaningful."

Jean is a leader and deputy director at The Samaritans. She provides back-up and support for her local group and matches new volunteers with mentors until they are ready to go solo.

Sainsbury's colleagues are a formidable bunch; many are single-minded in their support for good causes - so much so that £315,000 has been donated to voluntary groups in the last four years through the Local Heroes scheme. And that's all down to the colleagues who give their time to support good causes.

More than 350 colleagues applied to Local Heroes in 2004, supporting a wide range of causes from local football clubs to the Paralympics and from the cubs to the Salvation Army.

Chief executive Justin King and retail operations director Jon Hartland hosted a celebration for all this year's Local Heroes at the Holborn business centre on 10 November. It's the first year Justin has presented the Local Heroes awards, and he was clearly impressed by the drive of the people in the room.

He said: "Many of our colleagues do extraordinary things outside their working lives.

"This is the right way for a big company to get involved in charitable support - by getting behind our colleagues and becoming involved in the things that are really important to you. Fourteen million people shop with us every week and it's right that we touch their lives in a way that is important to the local community."

But supporting good causes is not just about the money - you can have a lot of fun along the way. And that's exactly why these Local Heroes keep volunteering year after year. Many initially supported their chosen organisation in order to give back to the community, but after a time they found they gained from the experience, too. And now, they're hooked!

"It means a lot to me knowing that I may be able to give people a bit more hope" Jean Hamilton, volunteer for The Samaritans

CHALLENGE CUP The Challenge Cup for team fundraising went to Hadleigh Road, Ipswich. For the last eight years, the store has tirelessly supported the East Anglia Children's Hospice (EACH) - raising a total of £11,587.08.

The money has come from coffee mornings, carol singing and '60s and 70s nights. Sound and vision assistant Linda Haylett said: "We chose EACH as our charity when we found out that the hospice only gets 10 per cent of its funding from the Government - the rest of the money has to come from fundraising. It's a wonderful, happy place that provides us with lots of inspiration. Most of our customers know about our charity work and many contribute to our fundraising."

Nominations • Oldbury store for its support of Compton Hospice. See page 16 for the full story • Hadleigh Road, Ipswich for East Anglian Children's Hospice • Harrogate's fundraising for The Development Trust • Frome for its support for the Proteus Syndrome Foundation

^xRBSfe ren fisburyfrom

Elfesmore Port volunteers at the Camp Project in Wales to give underprivileged children a holiday they will never forget. The holidays teach children skills such as canoeing, abseling, and even circus skills!

Community support

Bank Road gives more than 40

hours a month to The Samaritans. Jean had always wanted to help other people and joined The Samaritans fly

Disability nfrom

Biackhall !s "indispensable" to his chosen cause - Phoenix Theatre club. Jimmy has been involved with the club for more than 11 years and gives 50 hours

a month picking up club recreational gym is more members and looking after the important than competitive building.

Littlejohn from iury spends four nights a

week coaching children in recreational gym. The club has won two gold medals and one silver, and class sizes have doubled since she started to work at her local club. She believes

ndell from Warlingham has been involv with the Scouts for 49 years, joined as a cub in 1953 and is a group scout leader. He is ai: one of the driving forces behi the Younger Generation The group which stages gang sh( for children. Ss

• Mf ****

1|P f 3^

Christmas is coming Christmas is conning, but are the tills ringing? We visited Hempstead Valley to see how one store is coping with Christmas

Individual responsibility-team delivery

Hempstead Valley store manager Elliot Pilcher knows what his customers want - and he delivers the goods by the shelf-load.

On a first visit, the store seems like a Tardis - inside, it's huge! And everywhere you look there are huge displays of killer deals. Stacks of DVD players, piles of Quality Street tins, row upon row of biscuits, waterfall displays of spirits - it's all there designed to tempt customers.

Destination store But then, Hempstead Valley is no ordinary store. An ex-Savacentre in the middle of one of Kent's major out-of-town shopping centres, it's a destination store for the people of Gillingham.

With Christmas approaching, the store is going all-out for sales. Duty managers Bob Sandell and Alan Jarvis are the men in charge of Christmas. The store's trademark is bold displays throughout - and they're selling fast. Bob says: "I want to make our offers ten times bolder than customers expect so they can't miss them. And the beauty of these 'grab and go' displays is that

they're easy to fill and easy to shop."

For Elliot and Bob, the philosophy is "less is more". Says Elliot: "One plinth of one line bulk stacked is much more powerful than one plinth of five lines because it makes much more of an impact." It's an approach that's certainly working for electrical goods. Just a month before Christmas, weekly killer deal electrical sales were up to £40,000.

In fact, non-food in general is doing very well. Sales of Tu are flying out of the door faster than the products are coming in. "We're a victim of our own success," said clothing manager Pauline Gambell. "New products are on their way in - and I'm sure we'll sell them, too."

Games Hempstead Valley is Sainsbury's top-selling store for general merchandise and a lot of that success is down to duty manager Peter Limbert and general merchandise manager Annette Bending. Annette's prediction is that china and glass

!**Ch«^,..'

will be massive this year. Elliot may be sceptical, but Annette has proved him wrong before. He said: "The biggest surprise for me was the popularity of the Hasbro games such as nostalgic Monopoly and Buckaroo. We sold out within days as Annette knew we would!"

Killer deals Elliot is in such buoyant mood that he's impatient if supply doesn't keep up with demand. "The gifting range was fantastic but we didn't get enough stock to maintain a good display over the promotion period," he said. "I bid for nearly all the Christmas killer deals but we haven't received all the deliveries yet and I really want to see them in-store."

It's the biggest trading opportunity of the year and for Hempstead Valley, at least, all the signs are that Christmas is coming early.

Stand and deliver Although it hasn't hit Hempstead Valley yet, some stores are benefitting from 24-hour delivery and store-friendly pallets.

Hams Hall and Waltham Point depots started store-friendly deliveries at the end of October and feedback so far has been good.

Stores are delighted at the progress, saying that it has made a radical difference to the time taken on replenishment.

Jason Carniel at Einchley Road said: "It has improved availability in the chilled areas and allowed the shift to complete replenishment." Lian Meachen from Stanway agreed, saying: "There has been a huge improvement and yesterday we saved about 12 hours in the chiller. This has given us a huge improvement on availability."

want to maKe our oi lei b Lunumc nan customers

.ur they can't miss ther

CHRISTMAS HERO LINES Here are the stories behind some of Sainsbury's hero lines this year • Taste the Difference mince pies. These mince pies are made by the shortbread family firm, Walkers. The pastry is enriched using pure Irish butter an extra brandy and the mincemeat is mature for six weeks to Improve the flavour and texture. • Taste the Difference fruit-topped ham. This succulent dry cured ham has been cured with sea salt. It's decorated with Turkish apricots, French prunes and Valencia oranges and roasted with an aromatic honey and cinnamon glaze. • Taste the Difference Juniper and Birch smoked salmon. Our salmon is sea-farmed off the Western Isles of Scotland for a firmer texture. It is hand-cured with Demerera sugar and salt and then hung in a kiln set with a mix of silver birch wood and chopped juniper. It's smoked in the traditional age-old manner. Before slicing, the salmon fillets are sprinkled with a mix of peppercorn and crushed juniper berries. • Taste the Difference Baby Dovedale Cheese. This cheese is produced in traditional vats from milk sourced with the three counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire according to a recipe that is protected within a Product of Designated Origin. The finished cheeses are selected by graders with at least five years' experience to ensure guality.

Fab four... Bob Sandell, Pauline Gambell, Mark Ballantyneand Annette Bending are just a few of the colleagues making Christmas happen at Hempstead Valley

Productnews = H We look at the big issues affecting retailers and the grocery industry

Can the can The humble tin can - a constant feature in millions of UK homes for nearly 200 years - could soon be a thing of the past.

Instead, canned tomatoes will be replaced with a new cardboard-based, rectangular pack which means they will taste better and be much easier to open and store.

Sainsbury's will stock four varieties of chopped tomatoes using the Tetra Pak's new Tetra Recart package.

Canned buying manager Les i Rowse said: "It will be sad to say farewell to the tin can, but these packs are certainly the shape of the future. The cardboard packs don't need a tin opener to open and fit better in the cupboard and fridge. Unlike tin cans, the Tetra Recart cartons are made mainly from a renewable source - trees - and they can be recycled."

In addition, they are safer to use but the big advantage is that tomatoes kept in these packs simply taste better. Less heat is needed before packing, compared with their tin rival. Said Les: "The new pack means the tomatoes we sell will still be bursting with all their original flavour."

Black tomatoes, sold at Sainsbury's, are said to be aphrodisiacs-for giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands!

What, no salt? A healthier potato crisp witli no salt and one-third less fat is conning to Sainsbury's in January.

Sainsbury's is also the first supermarket to ensure that 90 per cent of its own label crisp range will be cooked in sunflower oil, reducing substantially the levels of potentially harmful saturated fat associated with heart disease.

Crisp buyer Andrew McTeare said: "We're committed to helping customers lead a healthy festyle. If they tell us they want to be able to choose

healthier products, then that is what we will provide." The crisps - called No Salt, Handcooked

crisps - developed exclusively for Sainsbury's, are free of added salt. Recent reports have linked

excessive salt consumption to high blood pressure.

The calorie content has been cut, too, by approximately five per cent. Yet, despite these changes, the healthier crisps still have all the flavour and crispness of the full-fat versions.

Easy peasy There's a new variety of pea - that won't fall off your fork!

Called the pea shoot, this brand new vegetable enables customers to pick leaves that have the same flavour and all the same vitamins and minerals as the traditional pea, but without the need to chase them round the plate!

Pea shoots are young, tender tips of garden peas that come, still growing. In their own miniature greenhouse. Like a tray of traditional cress, the shoots can be plucked from the tray and eaten uncooked, steamed or sauteed. They have a distinctive "pea" flavour and are crisp, healthy and refreshing.

Modern technology means that customers can now pick up their pea shoots in the supermarket and keep them "field fresh" right up to the moment they want to eat them.

The new baby pea shoots were introduced to Sainsbury's stores in November, priced at £1.39.

^^^MM :J^^A:Z

Wingoodies For your chance to win some goodies return the form below!

Treat your pet and win an iPod It's Christmas for cats and dogs too! Masterfoods is featuring a full range of gifts and cards for pets in Sainsbury's this Christmas. There are eight products in total from Whiskas® and Pedigree®, which are priced from £1.29 through to £4.99 so everyone can treat their favourite pet!

New this year are the Christmas cards, which have a festive message, a pacl( of treats and you can post them too! In addition to the standard display, these cards and a selection of the range are featured on a ladder rack display with full POS in 275 stores.

This range has also been featured in the Christmas Gifts Catalogue and Sainsbury's Magazine, to help drive customer awareness and sales.

Happy Christmas to you from Whiskas® and Pedigree®!

For your chance to win one of two mini iPods worth £179 each, answer the question below and send the form to Sainsbury's Journal.

All you need to do for a chance to win is answer question 1: How many stores feature the ladder rack displays?

I Answer 1: ,

Answer 2: ' I

Name: I

Address: , ^^

I • . I

Work location: I

Contact tel no:

Entries to: Competitions, Sa/nsbury'sJourna/, 33 Holborn, London ECIN ' 2HT, to arrive no later than 24 January. Entrants must work for or be I retired from ttie Sainsbury Group. Only one entry per person. i Photocopies are acceptable. See entry conditions on page 2. |

^4f! 't/ /,/^M^Kf^ mj'^i^^'iim^M Wrw^A K.,^&'^I^H^H

^ ^ i ^ ^ l »,^m^^H^^^^^H

BNI HSi ^^^BIS

ll^^flyp^^ ' V- H^^^^^^^SP^^HH

Walking to IVIany a wish could come true soon for terminally ill children, following Fairy Washing Up Liquid's sponsorship of the first-ever National Christmas Walk.

Supported in-store by Sainsbury's with a three for £2 promotion, Fairy has linked up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants once-in-a-lifetime wishes to 1 children with a life- C threatening disease, to s launch the "Dishes -•_ m for Wishes" event. ^ p | H

This fundraiser ^ H j ^ H will give customers ^ ^ ^ ^ | the chance to ^ K ^ participate in three flkji national walks ^ ^ P ^ kicked off by ^mw^m\ celebrities, or a fli t f \ number of local H I L ^ . ' - i ' walks across the ^ ^ 0 * 2 ^ country. Fairy will ^ ^ ^ l l donate £1 for ^ H ^ n i

C^K^k •- 5'^*«35^< •'•

• f t .-y^^if!^ B. m<> ^^^^HBa i^^^B^''\

^ H K - ^ E W ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I / ^^^a^K^^E^ 5 «

fSSMSSki' aMMolSjg-Sira

B ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ M rojB^SKp^^^p H iHMli ^w happiness

every walker. All walks will take place on 27 December 2004.

Those interested can find out more about the walks and register online at www.dishesforwishes.com. People will also be able to pick up an entry form in-store.

To celebrate the event. Sainsbury's Journal is offering one lucky reader the chance to

ma^ win a weekend family ^ V walking holiday worth £500. ^S To have a chance to

explore the beautiful mammmg^. British countryside, ^ ^ ^ H M answer the question ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ H below and send the

" f form to Sainsbury's • • t a ^ ^ Journal. ^ ^ ^ ^ • B All you need to do

f r M f v^B for a chance to win is 1 1 Y ^ ^ 1 answer question 2: (uiD A J ^ H What is the name _\viiH^M Of f^e event taking Mt:s^\^^M place on ff0t^M^ 27 December?

JULY/AUGUST COMPETITION WINNERS Winning the £25 crossword is M NEIL at Berryden. For a list of the winners in the rest of the competitions featured in the July/August issue, please send an SAE to Sainsbury's Journal at the address on page 24.

"We've raised thousands for local charities Colleagues atOldbury Savacentre have helped four good causes locally

Colleagues at Oldbury Savacentre have been working tirelessly all year to raise money for charity.

Events such as fashion shows, fundraising days, a charity walk and the sale of discontinued toys all helped raise the grand total of £3,520. And it's all the more impressive because the store's events team was only set up in August 2003. But in the space of a year, the team, led by Jayne Firkin, has put in a lot of hard work - and had a lot of fun along the way.

After raising such a fantastic total, the store team decided to split the money between four deserving causes: Compton Hospice, a safe house for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, Macmillan Cancer Research, and Sandwell and Dudley Hospital.

Store manager Chris Darby said: "We like to raise money for local causes wherever possible. There are so many good causes to choose from, that we select

Breakthrough to £1,000 for cancer

I

Wellingborough colleague Chris Farrelly is well on her way to raising £1,000 to help fight breast cancer.

Chris is taking part in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer £1,000 challenge and she has already raised £755 by raffling a giant teddy in-store.

She sold £1 raffle tickets to customers and the lucky winner got the bear.

Chris, a customer service assistant, wanted to raise money in memory of her foster mother, who died nine years ago from breast cancer. Chris said: "I feel that I'm putting something back so other people don't have to go through what my foster mum went through."

Chris hopes to meet the

£1,000 mark this year. Once the challenge is completed, she can put a name on the challengers' wall at the Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre in London. She has chosen her foster mother's name, Mary Hamilton.

The raffle was won by Leonard Allen who named the bear Carrie after his mother as it was her birthday on the day he won the raffle.

But the fundraising didn't stop there. Leonard plans to raffle the bear again to raise money for 14-year-old Christopher Gray, who has cerebral palsy. The local newspaper has highlighted his plight and is backing an appeal to buy him a computer. *

different charities throughout the year." Representatives from the four charities came along

to the store in October to receive their chegues. Compton Hospice and the safe house each received £1,500, while Macmillan Cancer Research received £400 and Sandwell and Dudley Hospital was given £120-worthof toys.

The Oldbury fundraising team has done such good work that the store was shortlised for this year's Local Heroes Challenge Cup. See page 10 for more details.

^ • ^ 0 . . >

BRIEFS

Caring colleagues... Oldbury's events team with representatives from the store's chosen charities

• ALTRINCHAM received a letter from customer Gerry Westwood after his daughter collapsed in the store due to heat exhaustion on a hot summer's day. He thanked all colleagues for their help, especially Simon Barrett.

Colleagues and friends of the store also entered a float In the Altrincham Festival - and won a trophy after coming first in the competition. • Joyce Bull, customer service assistant at TAMWORTH, received a beautiful floral arrangement from House Beautiful Magazine after a reader thanked Joyce for her w^onderful service. Joyce has many customers who will wait for her to assist them round the store. If Joyce is not at work, some even come back later when she returns! • When a customer, Mrs Dixon, fainted in REDHILL, it was the help provided by first aiders Diana Taylor and Kat Plowman that allowed her to make a full

recovery. Her husband wrote: "The staff involved dealt with the event in a most calm and reassuring manner, giving the necessary first aid and advice to me on what procedures I should follow." • Sheila Horsman, trading systems trainer at Holborn business centre, had special praise for Lynn Puddefoot at BARNSTABLE store who came to the rescue providing fresh figs for a family celebration. Lynn located the figs and even delivered them to Sheila's holiday home after work that evening. • HOLBORN gym instructor Gavin h4ay has just returned from Hawaii where he competed in the World Ironman Championships. Gavin endured a triathlon involving a 3.8-kilometre swim, followed by a 180-kilometre cycle ride and a 42-kilometre run. Gavin completed the course In 11 hours, 59 minutes and 50 seconds, and can now call himself an Ironman!

Have you got news for us? If you've got a story, just phone or email us with the key points, send a photo if you have one, and we'll do the rest. You'll find our contact details on page 24

Court in the act Courthouse Green's car park was transformed into a children's playground when the store held a fun day for customers.

Colleagues Jackie Clarke and Gary Swinburn organised the event, providing a bouncy castle, face painting, bobbing for apples and "guess how many sweets in the jar". There was also an Olympics-themed children's colouring competition with prizes for different age groups.

And the fun didn't stop there, as local radio station Mercia Sound Black Thunders provided music and entertainment for children.

All proceeds from the event were donated to the Coventry Evening Telegraph Snowball appeal which gives to a variety of local charities.

On your marks for SPARKS Fourteen colleagues from Sainsbury's Online at the Holborn business centre have cycled 140 miles from London to the Isle of Wight - and raised £5,000 for children's charity, SPARKS.

The 14-strong team cycled to the south coast, hopped on a ferry and then did a lap of the island. Mark Newton from the Online team said: "Online has a history of cycling for charity. We have already

cycled to Paris and coast to coast in England so the Isle of Wight seemed like a good idea at the time!"

The money raised will help SPARKS tackle conditions such as cerebral palsy, the dangers of premature birth, spina bifida, childhood arthritis and cancers.

If you'd like to contribute to the charity, you can donate-online via: www.justgiving.com/teamsol.

Jump start for charity Ten Harrogate colleagues jumped 10,000 feet -and raised £5,000 for charity at the same time.

The occasion was a 10,000 feet sky dive in aid of HFT, a charity that supports people with learning difficulties.

The day was unforgettable for supporters and participants. Although there were no broken bones, there were a few crash landings and a variety of reactions when everybody's feet finally touched the ground.

The colleagues continued their fundraising for months after the event and they were able to hand over a chegue for a j fantastic final , total of £5,000 to HFT

TellJustin ' Thousands of great ideas and suggestions continue to pour in to the

Tell Justin scheme and many are being implemented - sometimes the i? smallest things can make a big difference

I

X

{

Cat Hales from Huntingdon was working in the admin office one weel<end. Slie wanted to update ttie newspaper and magazine error log but ttie One Stop Stiop was closed.

Frustrated at the thought that the store would be losing sales as a result, Cat wrote in to Tell Justin. Now the error log system has been updated and a full list of newspaper department and commodity numbers has been published on Connect.

Cat was one of the first people to use the new system. She said: "It's working well and means we don't make so many phone calls to the Trading department."

Cat received 1,000 Shining Stars points for her suggestion. She plans to spend the points on a CD in-store and give herself an early Christmas present.

p Keep it ' simple

i ^V***, '

M0- M l

r

Let's hear it for Jean ^ Jean Ridyard has so many % bright Ideas that she's famous

at Upton store for her Tell ' Justin suggestions.

One of Jean's ideas is already being implemented -and it's simple yet effective.

The idea came to Jean when she took a telephone call on the shop floor and struggled to hear the caller

I above the noise of the store. i So she wrote in to Tell Justin,

suggesting volume controls , for telephones.

Justin wrote back saying: "This is a very sensible Idea

\ and, as a result of your suggestion, we have now

communicated the solution for this to all stores. Now you should be able to pump up the volume on the telephonel"

Jean will be spending the 1,000 Shining Stars points she has earned in her store. She said: "We've got so many great products in our stores at the moment that I don't think I'll have any problem spending the points."

If, like Jean, you need to turn up the volume of your in-store phones, then ask your admin manager or your store manager to fill in the programming reguest form on Connect.

How to make a suggestion: If you've got a bright idea, simply write it down on one of the suggestion cards and send it off in the internal post

Shiningstars As the Christmas party season approaches, stores are vying with each other for Shining Stars points, to make the parties go with a swing

Bath bags a bonus Bath store is set to have an extra-special Christmas party thanks to the honesty of colleagues on the customer service desk.

One of the store's regular customers lost her handbag in-store. Fearing that it had been stolen, she was very concerned and turned to the customer service desk for help.

Colleagues scoured the store and found the bag. The customer was so grateful that she wrote to Justin King praising the integrity of the store and he awarded the team 10,000 points.

Store manager Geoff Cole said: "It's great to know that our customers feel that way about shopping at Sainsbury's."

m

When Bolton custonner service colleague Sheila Simmonds retired from the store, she wanted to do something to let her colleagues know how much she would miss them.

After working in the store for 13 years, Sheila had a strong relationship with her colleagues and knew she would miss them and the work when she retired.

When the retirement day dawned, Sheila's colleagues all got together to throw a party for her. Touched by their thoughtfulness. Sheila hit on the idea of writing to chief executive Justin King to tell him just how much she had enjoyed working at Bolton.

Justin was delighted to receive the letter and immediately sent a

Shining Stars cheque for 25,000 points to the store team.

Store manager Colin Meah told Vne Journal: "Sheila loved her job and we loved working with hen She has excellent customer service skills and is very committed to the business and to our customers. We'll miss her.

"We never dreamed that she would write to Justin King. That

was a very thoughtful gesture and we really appreciate it."

The store team will convert their Shining Stars points into vouchers to buy raffle prizes for the Christmas party.

And Sheila's work at the store goes on, too. She will be coming back to the store and joining her old colleagues as a temporary worker over Christmas.

Producttests This month we gave colleagues at Derby's Kingsway store the chance to try out some of Sainsbury's Christmas products

DAWN HEAUME Salad bar assistant These Taste the Difference Belgian chocolates are absolutely delicious. At £4.99, they're quite expensive for a small box but they're definitely grown-up chocs. The first one I tried was absolutely gorgeous. It was a Grand Marnier truffle and I could definitely taste all the flavours. Now, what shall I try next?

THE PRODUCTS

Taste the Difference Belgian chocolates £4.99

Nut-free iced cake £6.99

Code checker, stock control These crackers look classy and are great value for money. There's a loud, satisfying bang when you pull them and the hats and novelties are good value - though I couldn't work out how one of the toys worked, and it soon broke.

The jokes were funny, too. But then, I love cornyjokes like this.

Chocolate yule log £4.99

Crackers £8

Checkout assistant The nut-free iced cake looks good and it's a good size. The icing was solid so it was quite difficult to cut but it was worth the effort. The cake was nice - not too sickly, but the icing was a real treat. I could eat that on its own - and I did!

If I have one criticism it's that I would prefer the cake to be made with a bit of booze.

JO MORGAN APTM I tried the chocolate yule log which is good value at £1.49.1 was pleased that the chocolate didn't crumble when I cut it and it smelted delicious and chocolatey.

It tasted lovely. The sponge was nice and moist and the chocolate buttercream was really yummy - just like chocolate sauce.

TO CONTRIBUTE Write to: Sainsbury's Journal, Internal Communications, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT. Managing editor: Roland Burton e-mail: roland.burton@sainsburys.co.uk or telephone: 020 7695 6467 or fax: 020 7282 8042. General Sainsbury's inquiries: 020 7695 6000 Veterans' inquiries: 020 7695 7190

i

"We've raised thousands for local charities" Colleagues atOldbury Savacentre have helped four good causes locally

Colleagues at Oldbury Savacentre have been working tirelessly all year to raise money for charity.

Events such as fashion shows, fundraising days, a charity walk and the sale of discontinued toys all helped raise the grand total of £3,520. And it's all the more impressive because the store's events team was only set up in August 2003. But in the space of a year, the team, led by Jayne Firkin, has put in a lot of hard work - and had a tot of fun along the way.

After raising such a fantastic total, the store team decided to split the money between four deserving causes: Compton Hospice, a safe house for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, Macmillan Cancer Research, and Sandwell and Dudley Hospital.

Store manager Chris Darby said; "We like to raise money for local causes wherever possible. There are so many good causes to choose from, that we select

Breakthrough to £1,000 for cancer Wellingborough colleague Chris Farrelly is well on her way to raising £1,000 to help fight breast cancer.

Chris is taking part in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer £1,000 challenge and she has already raised £755 by raffling a giant teddy in-store.

She sold £1 raffle tickets to customers and the lucky winner got the bear.

Chris, a customer service assistant, wanted to raise money in memory of her foster mother, who died nine years ago from breast cancer. Chris said: "I feel that I'm putting something back so other people don't have to go through what my foster mum went through."

Chris hopes to meet the

£1,000 mark this year. Once the challenge is completed, she can put a name on the challengers' wall at the Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre in London. She has chosen her foster mother's name, Mary Hamilton.

The raffle was won by Leonard Allen who named the bear Carrie after his mother as it was her birthday on the day he won the raffle.

But the fundraising didn't stop there. Leonard plans to raffle the bear again to raise money for 14-year-old Christopher Gray, who has cerebral palsy. The local newspaper has highlighted his plight and is backing an appeal to buy him a computer.

BRIEFS

different charities throughout the year." Representatives from the four charities came along

to the store in October to receive their cheques. Compton Hospice and the safe house each received £1,500. while Macmillan Cancer Research received £400 and Sandwell and Dudley Hospital was given £120-worthof toys.

The Oldbury fundraising team has done such good work that the store was shortlised for this year's Local Heroes Challenge Cup. See page 10 for more details.

Caring colleagues... Oldbury's events team with representatives from the store's chosen charities

• ALTRINCHAM received a letter from customer Gerry Westwood after his daughter collapsed in the store due to heat exhaustion on a hot summer's day. He thanked all colleagues for their help, especially Simon Barrett.

Colleagues and friends of the store also entered a float in the Altrincham Festival - and won a trophy after coming first in the competition. • Joyce Bull, customer service assistant at TAMWORTH, received a beautiful floral arrangement from House Beautiful Magazine after a reader thanked Joyce for her wonderful service. Joyce has many customers who will wait for her to assist them round the store. If Joyce is not at work, some even come back later when she returns! • When a customer, Mrs Dixon, fainted in REDHILL, it was the help provided by first aiders Diana Taylor and Kat Plowman that allowed her to make a full

recovery. Her husband wrote: "The staff involved dealt with the event in a most calm and reassuring manner, giving the necessary first aid and advice to me on what procedures I should follow." • Sheila Horsman, trading systems trainer at Holborn business centre, had special praise for Lynn Puddefoot at BARNSTABLE store who came to the rescue providing fresh figs for a family celebration. Lynn located the figs and even delivered them to Sheila's holiday home after work that evening. • HOLBORN gym instructor Gavin May has just returned from Hawaii where he competed in the World Ironman Championships. Gavin endured a triathlon involving a 3.8-kilometre swim, followed by a 180-kilometre cycle ride and a 42-kilometre run. Gavin completed the course in 11 hours, 59 minutes and 50 seconds, and can now call himself an Ironman!

Have you got news for us? If you've got a story, just phone or email us with the key points, send a photo if you have one, and we'll do the rest. You'll find our contact details on page 24

Court in the act Courthouse Green's car park was transformed into a children's playground when the store held a fun day for customers.

Colleagues Jackie Clarke and Gary Swinburn organised the event, providing a bouncy castle, face painting, bobbing for apples and "guess how many sweets in the jar". There was also an Olymplcs-themed children's colouring competition with prizes for different age groups.

And the fun didn't stop there, as local radio station Mercia Sound Black Thunders provided music and entertainment for children.

All proceeds from the event were donated to the Coventry Evening Telegraph Snowball appeal which gives to a variety of local charities.

On your marks for SPARKS Fourteen colleagues from Salnsbury's Online at the Holborn business centre have cycled 140 miles from London to the Isle of Wight - and raised £5,000 for children's charity, SPARKS.

The 14-strong team cycled to the south coast, hopped on a ferry and then did a lap of the island. Mark Newton from the Online team said: "Online has a history of cycling for charity. We have already

cycled to Paris and coast to coast in England so the Isle of Wight seemed like a good idea at the time!"

The money raised will help SPARKS tackle conditions such as cerebral palsy, the dangers of premature birth, spina bifida, childhood arthritis and cancers.

If you'd like to contribute to the charity, you can donate-online via: www.justgiving.com/teamsol.

Jump start for charity Ten Harrogate colleagues jumped 10,000 feet -and raised £5,000 for charity at the same time.

The occasion was a 10,000 feet sky dive in aid of HFT, a charity that supports people with learning difficulties.

The day was unforgettable for supporters and participants. Although there were no broken bones, there were a few crash landings and a variety of reactions when everybody's feet finally touched the ground.

The colleagues continued their fundraising for months after the event and they I were able to hand over a cheguefor a fantastic final total of £5,000 i to HFT.

I

k

\