Our magazine, exclusively for

colleagues Summer 2020

heroesOur everyday

When the nation shut down, you stepped up

Camborne SuperstoreThe team in Cornwall raised a fantastic £350 on VE Day for the Royal British Legion.

Ryde ExtraIsle of Wight Zoo residents enjoyed some tasty treats, thanks to a donation of surplus fruit from the store.

Addlestone ExtraMay the Force be with you! Colleagues dressed as Star Wars characters to raise £377 for local ambulance services.

Windsor SuperstoreJulianna has been using her spare

store’s garden.

Lambeth ExpressColleagues in London showed their support for the NHS in the nationwide Clap for Carers.

Kidsgrove SuperstoreRich Stephenson-Evans has been praised by a local MP for his stellar

Kensal Rise Chamberlayne Road ExpressThe team donated food so volunteers

Leith SuperstoreFraser Cromar and his team have supported local families in need with emergency food parcels.

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photos your

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WELCOME

Hello.

UK & ROI CEO

Tesco

Made by Sonder

Get in touch with us by post

If you’ve got an idea for a story or you’d like to share what you get up to in your spare time, get in touch

Email us att.magazine@tesco.com

Jason Tarry

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MY LIFE IN…

Poppy Clarke-Kray, Customer Assistant at Ramsgate Manston Superstore starred in BBC show The Choir: Singing for Britain during lockdown

Singing for Britain

Passion for singingSinging and performing are a big part of my life. I’ve always been part of a choir and I’ve been in lots of plays throughout school and uni – I was in my uni’s production of the hit musical, Chicago, earlier this year. (See photo, right. I’m pictured far right.)

Lucky starsMy friend sent me a message about Gareth Malone’s new BBC show, The Choir: Singing for Britain. He was looking for key workers to take part in the choir. I absolutely love Gareth and his work so I applied immediately. I couldn’t believe that I was chosen out of 15,000 applicants. It felt like winning the lottery.

Contents

11 Our heroes Supporting our communities through crisis

15 Back to natureThe colleagues getting

mindful in the garden

17 Sewing scrubsMeet the creative colleagues

supporting our NHS

21 Record breaker The driver who delivered our

one millionth order in a week

24 Fun and games Be in with the chance to win

on the competitions page

26 Have hopeColleagues spread messages

of hope to support the NHS

6 Floral tributes One store is donating

7 Rooftop runner Meet the colleague

running to raise funds

Tasters

Features

Our magazine is printed on paper from sustainable sources

Please recycle after use

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Got a story?If you or somebody you know would make a perfect candidate for My Life In… drop us a line at t.magazine@tesco.com

Singing salvation

Melanie SmilesCommunity Champion,

Cleckheaton Superstore

“It’s one less thing for grieving families

to worry about”

Floral tributesCleckheaton Community Champion, Melanie Smiles, teamed up

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Ex‘seed’ingly good

“I made it by upcycling some old pallets and giving it a fresh lick of paint. It has a fairy lights and ornament embellishment which is courtesy of my wife. It was really simple to do and you could even get the kids involved with painting it.”

£1,500 Queen Alexandra Hospital

With the cancellation of some of our national fundraisers, our health charity partners have lost out on vital donations – so we’re planning a safe way to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation. From 1-13 September, customers will be able to round up their bill to the nearest £1 at all our tills and colleagues can get involved by sharing their experiences of their conditions by emailing healthpartnership@tesco.com and donating to justgiving.com/campaign/tescomatch

Dates for the diary

1-13 September

TASTERS

Customer Assistant Danny Collie has been dubbed the ‘Corona Crooner’ by Aberdeen residents. He’s been singing to queuing customers as they wait to enter the store, keeping them entertained with classics from the likes of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Danny’s not alone in his musical talents – at the other end of the country, Portsmouth Superstore Café Manager Steve Taylor (right) has been entertaining customers with his full repertoire of soul and Motown hits while raising more than £1,500 for Queen Alexandra Hospital.

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Keep customers smiling

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen many colleagues gain well-deserved recognition in the press and on TV. Just like our colleagues at Beckton Extra who featured in BBC Breakfast’s ‘Hero Half Hour’, which highlighted the importance of key workers. Carol Robinson from Stretford Extra also appeared on The One Show to talk about the challenges we’ve faced in adapting the way we work to help feed the nation. Carol is proud to be recognised as an ‘unsung hero’. She says: “My family ask me why I get up and come to work every day. I try to explain – without me and my colleagues, people will go without food.”

Store Manager Rob Milner loves a challenge, and he wasn’t going to let lockdown stop him from taking on a marathon or two!

by running the length of Cosham Metro’s warehouse corridor 767 times, before completing his second marathon a month later by running laps of the car park roof.

Tough challengeAfter completing not one but two marathons, Rob put on his trainers again to go for the hat-trick, but this time he roped in his colleagues for the rooftop run. Rob says: “I decided to involve as many of my

a socially distanced team relay. We have 95 colleagues in our store and 63 of them took

Rob Milner,Store Manager, Cosham Metro

“We ran for nine hours, covering

482km”

part, which is an amazing turnout. We ran for nine hours, covering 482km.”

Thanks to the generosity of customers and Rob’s hard work, they raised more than £8,000 for local charities including the NHS Portsmouth Hospitals Charity.

Rob’s rooftop fundraiser

We’re proud to see all the brilliant ways our colleagues are supporting those in need

Supporting our communities is more important than ever. Our £52 million

support package is making a world of

local communities, and we’re continuing to support FareShare and The Trussell Trust

a huge part, from volunteering at local food banks to delivering care packages to

£1 million of funding we set aside to support our neighbourhoods.

together

Images taken before social distancing was enforced

When 99-year-old veteran and regular customer, Norman,

items on his shopping list, Area Manager Dan Scott stepped in. He asked a colleague to pull together some shopping

neighbours to donate any spare essentials they had. Dan personally delivered the shopping to the veteran’s home. Norman

Dan: “I’ll live like a king until I’m 100!”

DELIVERING TO THE MOST VULNERABLE

Working with our partner, Groundwork, we’ll be donating £4 million to smaller charities and organisations through our COVID-19 Bags of Help grants. More than

will be awarded grants of £500 each to help with increased demands.

given grants are Reuben’s Retreat and The Harbour Project. Check out their stories

together to support each other and our communities during these hard times.

Stronger

Working with charity partners

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WORKING WITH BUSINESSES

SUPPORTING FELLOW KEY WORKERS

HELPING OUR NEIGHBOURS

Dumfries Extra has joined forces with British Gas to bring comfort to elderly residents who are shielding. Community Champion Ann Croucher arranged for British Gas to treat at-risk patients by collecting and delivering jigsaw puzzles, board games and magazines donated by the store.

Colleagues in Ballymena teamed up with TK Maxx and Subway when they closed to help distribute surplus stock within the community.

Colleagues at Solihull Extra surprised the team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital with a few treats to keep their energy up.

The team at Aylsham Superstore stocked up

the local community phone box larder with

essential items.

Don’t forget our postal workers on the frontline. Amesbury Superstore delivered a care parcel to their

Kieran Jones, from Baguley Extra, delivered food parcels to elderly and at-risk people in his community.

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COMMUNITY

Many of those who seek asylum or are granted refugee status in the UK live in shared houses with strangers, have just £37.75 a week to live on and are unable to use their payment cards online, so when the country went into lockdown the team at The Harbour Project had serious concerns for their visitors.

Now in its 20th year, The Harbour Project supports asylum seekers and refugees living in Swindon. Ordinarily, the centre would host drop-in sessions, English lessons, and CV and interview workshops as well as fun activities such as a sewing club.

at The Harbour Project, applied for the emergency Bags of Help funding to make

After losing her own son at just two years old, Nicola Graham set up a charity in his name, Reuben’s Retreat, to support families with children that have life-limiting illnesses.

Reuben’s Retreat’s Stacey Kirkpatrick, Senior Fundraiser & Corporate Contact, said: “Just catching a common cold is a concern for these children, so the virus is causing their families anxiety and worry.”

Happiness boxesThe team at Reuben’s Retreat wanted to relieve some of the stress the families felt

THE HARBOUR PROJECT

during the shielding period, so they created what they call “the happiness box” using the Bags of Help emergency fund grant.

Reuben’s Retreat received the following message from a parent which we think says it best: “I have been slowly crumbling under the uncertainty for days, wondering how I am going to cope as a single parent, on lockdown for 12 weeks, more mentally than anything else. My heart feels a lot less heavy and more hopeful with the promise of support that came from a beautiful and honest and real charity.”

those that use their services. She said: “Our

live week to week so we were worried about how they would manage to buy essentials.”

Cared forThe funding has supplied 80 people with a fortnight’s worth of essential items such as food, toiletries and cleaning supplies.

“These people are living in shared spaces,” Claire says, “and most of the homes don’t have outdoor space. They’re isolated, so to have some human contact

makes them feel cared for, and everyone deserves to feel loved and cared for.”

REUBEN’S RETREAT

When Community Champion Julia Barham-Cook from Aldershot Superstore met Bags of Help grant recipients, Wessex Blood Runners, she was so inspired that she decided to volunteer.

“I despatch on-duty blood bikers or drivers and keep in contact with service requesters and our lovely volunteers,” she says. “During lockdown, we’ve been busy transporting medication, COVID-19 tests and blood.

“We recently had a time-critical run. A man who was undergoing chemo that would make him sterile decided that he’d like to freeze his sperm, which has to arrive at the bank within the hour. We managed to get it there in time, and now he and his wife have a chance at having kids.”

Windswept and inspired

Stacey Kirkpatrick,Senior Fundraiser, Reuben’s Retreat

“Just catching a common cold is a concern for these children, so the virus is

causing their families anxiety”

Hear how our COVID-19 emergency

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Mundeep Kaur, Bromley By Bow Superstore“I’m really proud that, as a store, we’ve been able to donate fresh and surplus food to our local food bank during these times. The food bank started out at our local church, but we’ve had so many donations we had to move it to the community centre.

“We’ve also donated hot food to the Children’s House Nursery for young families who might be struggling.”

Birkenhead Bidston Moss Extra“When the country went into lockdown, I knew I had to support whoever and wherever I could. Our store, the Wirral Council, community hubs, charities and food banks that are part of our Community Food Connection and Bags of Help joined forces to provide an emergency food hub at the tennis centre next to our store.

“Each day, we put together 400-600 hampers, and our local taxi drivers, who are currently out of work, delivered them to people in need.

“The way the community has pulled together in these scary times is just fantastic and I’m proud that the team at Tesco was a part of it.”

“We’ve been able to donate fresh and

surplus food”

(Left) Bryan had the bright idea to grow some whiskers as a fundraiser.

(Above) Bryan’s new look raised £370 for our health charity partners.

We organised the donation of more than 68,400 items of food and toiletries to food banks across London through the British Red Cross. We’ve been working with the charity since 2007, but when COVID-19 took hold we agreed to donate an extra £2 million to help them support those in need.

Bryan Taunton, Bicester Superstore“We wanted to show our appreciation to the amazing SalutetheNHS volunteers who put together food parcels, so we donated ice creams on one of the hottest days, which were very well received.

“As a store, we also decided to do the 2.6 challenge where you can take on any challenge relating to 2.6 or 26. For example, running 2.6 miles or doing 26 squats. Since COVID-19 arrived I’ve been doing upwards of 20,000 steps a day so I didn’t want to do anything exercise related. Instead, I grew my moustache for ‘Moustache May’ and raised £370 for our health charity partners.”

our championsWorking together to support our communities

Spotlight onCOMMUNITY

Clover Deacon from Romford Gallows Corner and her favourite boy, Cooper

Cool pooch Poppy never fails to

from Maidstone Tovil Superstore

There’s nothing like returning home from work to a wagging tail or a furry feline. Many colleagues found comfort in their pets when they felt down.

Clover Deacon, Community Champion at Romford Gallows Corner Extra, says: “I’ve never experienced

through the door when lockdown was announced. But my dog, Cooper, was like therapy. When I got home from a busy day I knew his little face would cheer me up. The only downside was that he did have a liking for stealing the loo roll from the holder... good job it’s no longer rationed!”

Creature comforts

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We’re here to help you look after your health and wellbeing

Everyone has had to make big changes to their lives, whether that’s working

on the frontline or turning your spare

It’s completely normal to feel worried, anxious or overwhelmed during this time, so we’ve developed loads of resources with hints and tips to help you. Visit Our

physical health, working from home and dealing with lockdown.

And if you’re looking for inspiration, just check out some of our colleagues’ stories. Whether it’s running a 5k or having a cuddle with your furry friend, there are lots of ways to stay healthy. We caught up with colleagues

foryou

#imhereforyouThis year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme was kindness, and it acted as a helpful reminder of the part we all play by being kind to others and showing there’s always someone to listen. The response we saw on Yammer was amazing. Colleagues across the country showed that no-one is ever alone at Tesco.

(Right) Not all heroes

wear capes, but these two do!

Here

John O’Neill from Welwyn Garden City has taken heed of his cat Roy’s approach to life

Calli Cresswell from Welwyn Garden City looks to her purr-dy cats, Gary and Keith, for pointers on

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5ways

TO STAY HEALTHY AT HOME

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“I was reluctant to try Headspace as I didn’t think I was the ‘type’ to enjoy meditation, but between work and homeschooling my children I was struggling to sleep. I tried the sleep element of the app and loved it. I’m converted.”

Look after your mind. You might be feeling anxious right now and need a bit of extra support. Every Mind Matters and Mind have advice and tips. Don’t forget you can sign up to Headspacefor free. Vicky Bagnall, People Business Partner, says:

Be snack savvy. If you’re hungry between meals, try opting for fresh fruit, low fat and low sugar yoghurt, or plain nuts.

Get active. There are lots of workout videos online to try but you can also get active without turning your home into a gym. Last year Francesca Ashcroft, Change Manager for Workplace Technology, was a Dance Beats Super Group member. She says:

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Keep unhealthy habits in check. Try to be mindful of how much

work. And there’s never a bad time to stop smoking – visit nhs.uk/smokefree for tips to help you stop.

or try veggie options like beans and pulses for protein. Visit Tesco Real Food to try some healthy recipes and check out Jamie Oliver’s tips to get more veg in your diet:

Our Health Charity Partners shared their top tips for keeping a healthy mind and body during these times

(Below) You’re never far from a friendly face at Tesco

“Cool ways of getting more veg into your diet are through things that you already love. Take a spag bol: as well asonion and celery, I like to add grated courgette and carrots to the base.”

“I’ve always been a dancer – I love it. It’s such a fun way to exercise and it’s a great de-stresser.”

HEALTH

(Left) Theresa rocking the

iconic CRUK pink

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Race for Life at HomeNot even a pandemic can stop our colleagues from raising money for Cancer Research UK – many have joined in Race for Life at Home by doing their own creative challenges

EXERCISE IS THERAPY

WHY WE RUN

When her local Race for Life event was cancelled, Rachel Benson, Community Champion at Shrewsbury Extra, made the most of the situation and took part in the virtual Race for Life at Home from her parents’ back garden.

“We had such an amazing day at Race for Life last year and I get the biggest smile on my face when I think of how we all supported each other,” Rachel says. “We really wanted to keep the awareness and team spirit buzzing, so I decided to host a Race for Life at Home event over video chat. I made a 10-minute exercise plan and even managed to rope

instructor. More than 200 colleagues tuned in, with loads of us in fancy dress. It was a bit of silliness and fun, which was exactly what we all needed. It’s a tough time and we’re all experiencing the mood swings, so it’s important that we can have fun together, all while raising awareness of Cancer Research UK (CRUK).

“Exercise is a real tonic, especially during these times. I’ve been taking part in a clubbercise class over video every Friday with some friends I met at Dance Beats last year. Being able to connect and have fun has helped us keep a bit of normality. One of our friends is shielding, so it’s a great way to keep her in the loop and ease her back into work.”

Community Champion Theresa Fisher and Customer Service Desk Assistant Clare Cox, from Gloucester Quedgeley Extra, took part in Race for Life at Home, in honour of two very special people.

“Sadly, we lost two colleagues to cancer this year, Alan Trigg and Rose Davies. Alan actually featured on the CRUK Mother’s Day cards this year. He was given just nine months to live in 2016 but battled on for four years before passing away this year. He was truly our hero,” says Theresa.

“After losing two of our good friends we wanted to make Race for Life even bigger and better than ever. Then, of course, we were hit with COVID-19, so our race was cancelled. We’re planning a socially distanced relay race around the car park later in the year with the whole store and customers, but myself and Clare wanted to do something on the day that would have been our event. I ran 5km in my back garden, which got a bit dizzying by the end. Clare went out for a 10km run and laid roses on Alan’s grave.”

(Right) High knees from

Rachel’s family

(Below and centre) Rachel’s colleagues

tuned in at home

(Above) Thousands visit the

every year

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spare time Julie works as an Empowerment

Since going into lockdown the nation has turned to baking, painting and creating to get them through. But for some colleagues, gardening has been their salvation

Green therapy

Connecting to nature

HEALTH

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We know healthcare workers are doing

so we’ve been working on a few initiatives to make life that little bit easier for them.

With some NHS workers struggling to get the bare essentials after an exhausting

hours just for them. In stores across

to all their hard work.

Birmingham NEC and London Excel

nutritious meals. We donated all the food and ingredients for the meals and raised funds for the charity through the sales of our rainbow biscuits.

We could never thank our healthcare workers

Joining forces: Tesco and the NHSat the Birmingham NEC and London Excel

workers?’ But I needn’t have worried

six of us shift leaders and then customer

to say that I’ve gained new friends.

“Before the pop-up store, I was on placement as Store Manager at Canary Wharf Metro, but I have a lot of experience in opening stores so I knew I’d be of good use at the Nightingale store. Working at the pop-up was an amazing experience. I had the privilege of working alongside, and learning from, managers with years of experience and I expanded my skill set. But most of all it

work up to being a store manager.”

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Cathy Mercer put her 35 years of dressmaking experience to good use in supporting the NHS. The Birkenhead Bidston Moss General Merchandise Manager has stepped up her working week to six days in store to support her team and spends the seventh day sewing scrubs for her local NHS practice and hospitals.

“I wanted to help in some small way so I have been knitting hats and cardigans for premature babies at my local hospital.” Lyn Rabett,Community Champion, Colchester Extra

SEWING OVERTIME

NHS

Olly Gardner, Reward Analyst at Welwyn Garden City, and his brother, wanted to support the key

the distance in kilometres that we would walk or run

Roll the dice

KNITS FOR NEWBORN

Despite never having made clothes before, Pia Nuzzaco, Customer Assistant at Wilmslow Handforth Extra, donated her time to sewing masks and scrubs. Her daughter Gabriella (left) works at Wilmslow Dean Row Road Express and has been helping Pia with sewing and modelling.

perfect,” Pia laughs.

“My store kindly donated seven sets of Fox & Ivy duvet covers that have been transformed into scrubs, elastic for waistbands and headbands, and dye for the sheets.”

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Rainbow biscuits raise fundsThe rainbow has become a symbol of hope and solidarity during the pandemic, which is why we chose to develop a rainbow biscuit decorating kit to raise money and awareness for our NHS workers. The special packs

colourful sprinkles to decorate.

enabling SalutetheNHS to create care packages for our heroic health workers,

including essentials such as toothpaste and toiletries, plus food packages.

As well as raising vital funds for SalutetheNHS, the packs are a fantastic tool to spread awareness among youngsters and start conversations about the brilliant work our NHS is doing, and why they’re doing it.

Community Champions donated kits to schools, nurseries and children’s hospitals to spread a message of hope.

Despite being busier than ever, our colleagues have been sending care packages to healthcare workers

Sending helpEbbw Vale Extra were extremely generous in donating six phones to the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board so that patients on the wards could speak to their loved ones at home.

Newport Extra donated 100 brand

new pyjamas and nightdresses for

patients in the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Find out more about how

we supported SalutetheNHS

on page 22.

Ilminster Superstore surprised their local pharmacy with

beautiful blooms.

The team at Musselburgh Extra clubbed together to collect essential toiletries for their local services.

ways of showing they care. Newtownbreda Extra show it with food.

The team at Widnes Extra got creative with their Pepsi crates to pay tribute to the NHS.

NEW allergy comfort • Extremely gentle • Ultra absorbent

®Registered Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. ©KCWW

with thousands of people forced to stay indoors during lockdown,

the demand for online shopping skyrocketed. Despite unbelievable pressure we’re proud to say that everyone has adapted and done whatever it takes to feed the nation.

Early on, we quickly realised we would need reinforcements. Our teams achieved the seemingly impossible task of hiring 4,000 new drivers and 12,000 new pickers in a matter of weeks, as well as reopening the Fenny Lock and Middleton distribution centres. Find out how we did it on page 22.

The wheels have also been put in

centres in our larger stores.And that’s not forgetting the

throughout the business have put into feeding our healthcare workers through the SalutetheNHS scheme, which you can also read about on page 22.

Our distribution and

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Dad-to-be’s lucky break As COVID-19 began to break out, Leicestershire business owner Martyn Ladkin was quick to look for a new job. He says: “I own a crêperie business and realised my main source of income had dropped to zero overnight.

“I attended one of Tesco’s walk-in interviews and, within a few days, I was given the great news that I got a job in Click and Collect at Ashby De La Zouch Extra. My wife was heavily pregnant at the time, so to know we had a source of income was a huge relief.

“The team has been so warm and welcoming and even bought us some clothes for our new baby girl, Ava.” Visit Martyn’s site at ilovecrepes.co.uk

A new set of wheelsAaron Leventhal has dreamed of being a pilot since he was a young boy. After 10 years of

But after the untimely demise of travel operator FlyBe, where he spent 18 months as a pilot, Aaron was sadly left without a job. Now, he’s putting the HGV licence he earned while in the army to good use, as a Tesco HGV driver.

Aaron says: “I was absolutely devastated to lose my dream job, but this is a great lesson in resilience. I’m now working to keep Tesco’s shelves stocked and I feel a great sense of pride knowing that I’m doing my bit to help the nation.”

theFeeding

nation

Andrew Woolfenden,

DISTRIBUTION

“I delivered to Dotcom’s millionth customer a couple of years ago too,” David recalls. “I remember 99% of my customers. I didn’t know I was making our millionth delivery in a single week until I arrived – it was a lovely surprise. I considered it an honour.”

David’s been a driver for 15 years now. “I love it, getting out and talking to real people - that’s what life’s about.

“The older ladies are so excited to see you and used to insist on me coming in for a cuppa. I would always make the time to go in even if it’s just for 10 minutes – you just don’t know when they last spoke to someone.

“At the start of the lockdown, I found it really frustrating not being able to chat properly to my customers. I do worry about some of them living alone at this time.”

Life-changingA health scare 18 months ago gave David a new outlook on life. “I unknowingly had a 7cm blood clot at the base of my spine,” he says. “It burst, causing major internal bleeding. I woke up six days later in the ICU and the doctor told me I was the 1 in 1,200 survivor. I had a pretty good outlook on life beforehand, but now? Nothing can scare me.”

One in a million

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NHS frontline workers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, so much so that many reported being unable to access food during their 12-hour shifts and too exhausted to make a proper meal when they got home. After learning this, business owner Nigel Harris and Ron Dennis, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), set up SalutetheNHS, a charity operation with the aim of providing NHS workers with one million nutritious meals.

Healthy mealsThe donated meals come in a series of packs, use Tesco ingredients and are put together by Absolute Taste, a catering company owned by Nigel. The pack options include a daily shift meal, an evening meal, and home packs that are delivered to NHS

“Products are ordered from suppliers into

our Didcot Distribution Centre (DC), then distributed to workers via SalutetheNHS. Our buying teams worked with suppliers to agree which food we can provide. We had to work to variable demand in a short time frame – the team has done a great job.

Being part of a company that can help them is incredible and having the chance to play my part is even more rewarding.”

Proud to helpThe team at the Didcot DC has had to adapt their process too. Jason Watts, Didcot DC

lanes, adjusted our resources to manage the increase in volume and tweaked transport plans to ensure we deliver on time.

“The initiative has had a really positive

We supported them in their mission to provide NHS workers with one million nutritious meals, which they achieved in three months

Joining SalutetheNHS

Jason Watts,Distribution Centre Manager, Didcot DC

Delivery Driver Helen Bartonwent above and beyond for one customer who was isolating. After seeing how many items were missing from an order, due to the stockpiling rush, she popped to a local Tesco to get essentials such as bread and milk for them. The customer was so touched she took to social media to sing her praises.

Little helps

Customers have been exceptionally

understanding during these times and shown

their appreciation for our hard work.

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Belfast DC Transport Team Manager Brian Cooke’s day got a little brighter after receiving a picture of a rainbow, specially drawn by his niece, Ciara, and he decided to pass the joy along. He said: “I sent it out to the whole department to remind them that they are appreciated.

“There was a lot of nervousness about coming to work at the beginning. When you sign up for a job at Tesco you don’t expect to be on the frontline of a pandemic, but everyone still comes in each day to do their bit and keep the country going.”

DISTRIBUTION

When 11-year-old Lexi’s dad, Pete, sadly passed away after contracting COVID-19, Lexi drew a picture of a rainbow to say thank you to the NHS for taking care of him. Our team at Didcot Distribution Centre were looking for a way to show their support for the NHS when they heard about Lexi and her dad. Now Lexi’s drawing is on six of our trucks – two of which are being used to deliver food to the NHS.

Lexi’s lorries

When COVID-19 hit, Mark Stravens, Driving Operations Manager, Distribution

need to increase our pool of Dotcom drivers to keep up with demand.

“Normally it would take around 6-10 weeks to advertise, interview, assess and train a new driver. But we needed lots of new drivers quickly. So we created 41 recruitment ‘hubs’ across the country in store cafés and community

rooms to interview large numbers of candidates at once. We reduced the time for candidates to ‘buddy up’ with an existing driver by supplementing it with online training.

“We got the whole end-to-end

days and were able to recruit 5,000 new drivers. Going forward we’ll use this new process, which would never have happened if we weren’t challenged.”

Reopening Fenny LockTo deal with increased volumes, we reopened our Fenny Lock distribution centre in Milton Keynes.Cadel Markey, Distribution Centre Manager, built the team from scratch. He says: “We pulled together a 300-strong team in three weeks. It’s been an amazing opportunity for many of us, as the roles were a real step-up. Some colleagues have received promotions through it and many colleagues that joined from other industries after being furloughed have secured permanent jobs within Tesco.”

Emergency taskforce

(Above) Mark Stravens, Driving Operations

(From left) Kenny Wells, Shift Manager,Cadel Markey, Distribution Centre Manager, and Amit Patel, Stand Up Shift Manager

WIN

A

Fox & Ivy bundles,

worth more than £100

Game bundles for Xbox and

PS4 worth more than

£250

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Treats

Jamie Oliver’s Veg: back by demandAfter Jamie Oliver’s Veg was so popular in last edition’s competition, we managed to secure two more! Whether you’re trying to cut down on meat or looking for some new inspiration, Jamie has you covered. Veg is full of easy-to-cook recipes that

the moussaka and summer tagliatelle.

fter months of non-stop hard work, everyone could use a little relaxation and escapism. So in this brilliant giveaway, we have

10 bundles of six PS4 games and 10 bundles of six Xbox games up for grabs, including FIFA 21.

Hustle by day and risk it all by night in the adrenaline-fuelled racing game, Need for Speed: Heat.

Put your pilot helmet on and join the Star Wars: Squadrons.

and destroy your opponents in the single-player story, set after the Return of the Jedi, released 2 October 2020.

The wait is over, FIFA 21 is coming on 9 October 2020 and could be yours if you’re a lucky winner.

Stay home, stay entertained – just don’t throw your controller at the TV.

WIN!

Terms and conditions Entry to our colleague competition is free. All entries must be received by 23:59 on 11 September 2020. Include your name and contact details with your entry. See full T&Cs (right) for more.

Send your answer to the question below, plus your name and contact details, to ps4@madebysonder.com orxbox@madebysonder.com

Six game entertainment bundle for Xbox or PS4

How to enter

Q. How many deliveries did we make for the

week in April? (p20-21)

HOW TO ENTERSend in your name and contact details

to jamieveg@madebysonder.com

by 11 September2020

All six games up for grabs are:Need for Speed: HeatStar Wars: Jedi Fallen OrderPlants vs. Zombies: Battle for NeighborvilleRocket Arena Star Wars: Squadrons (released 2 October 2020)FIFA 21 (released 9 October 2020)Due to COVID-19 precautions we’re

unable to give away physical copies of the games. You’ll instead be sent the codes to download each game on PS4 or Xbox.

Please also be aware that Star Wars: Squadrons and FIFA 21 are released after the competition closing date, so if you’re a lucky winner we’ll send the code for these two games separately upon their release.

For entries for the PS4 games draw please email: ps4@madebysonder.comFor entries for the Xbox games draw please email: xbox@madebysonder.com

4/5VERDICTAISHA’S

Dawn O’PorterSo Lucky

2/5VERDICT

RACHEL’S

Caroline RobertsSummer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

2/5VERDICTRYAN’S

Amanda JenningsThe Storm

4/5VERDICT

CHRISTINE’S

Sarah AldersonThe Weekend Away

Reviewed byAisha Shabbir, Optometrist, Wigan Extra. She says:“Despite tackling important issues such as

media use, So Lucky is funny and cheeky and grips the

recommend a read!”

So Luckyby Dawn O’Porter

Reviewed by Rachel Etherington, Dotcom Manager, Kingston Extra. She says:“If you’re looking for a gentle read, this is perfect for a summer’s afternoon in the garden. It’s simply written and easy to get through, although it’s not a genre I would usually pick for myself.”

Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantryby Caroline Roberts Reviewed by Ryan Callander,

Customer Assistant, Queensway Express. He says:“Jennings couldn’t have chosen a better title for this chaotic novel as she switches frantically between narrators and setting. If you’re looking for a dramatic love story, this could be for you.”

The Stormby Amanda Jennings

Reviewed byChristine Barter, Customer Assistant, Southampton Witts Express. She says:

“I wouldn’t normally read this kind of book, but it’s a page-turner. Alderson leads us on a fast-paced romp through Lisbon, where disappearance turns to murder and nobody is quite as they seem.”

BOOK CLUB

The t magazine book club reviewed four of summer’s hottest new novels

WIN

The Weekend Awayby Sarah Alderson

COMPETITIONS

25

TERMS AND CONDITIONS Entry to our competitions and prize draws is free. To enter, you must be a Tesco colleague and live in the UK or Northern Ireland. You can only enter each competition or prize

cannot take part. Late entries cannot be accepted. The prizes include products only and will not include additional costs, such as travel expenses – unless stated. Entries must be received by 23:59 on

HOW TO ENTERSend in your

name and contact details to books@

madebysonder.com by 11 September

2020

Snap up this summer’s bestselling booksWe have three bundles of this issue’s Book Club reads up for grabs. The perfect selection for a summer staycation.

26

Colleagues across the country showed their support for the

NHS with colourful artwork

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QuedgeleyExtra

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in partnership with

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