SHELLEY Vanstone from Launceston is a familiar face to many, having served as Launceston Tesco’s Community Champion for the past 12 years.

Shelley has been married to Dave for 26 years and they have three grown up children.

She was born at Old Tree maternity home in Trebursey in 1965 and went to Windmill School and Launceston College. After A Levels, she went to Cheltenham for three years where she studied hotel and catering management.

Shelley lived in London for five years where she worked as a catering manager in large office blocks covering staff restaurants, functions and director’s dining. She moved back to Launceston to get married and carried on working in catering in Plymouth.

Whilst on maternity leave, the new Tesco store was being built and she applied to work there as she didn’t want to work full time hours with travelling and early starts with a new baby.

On January 9, 1995, Shelley started working for Tesco, training at the old St Austell store before the Launceston store opened in February.

Initially she worked the twilight shift replenishing the shelves whilst the store was closed (in the days before 24-hour opening!). She moved to checkouts, then customer service and then the cash office before taking on the role of Community Champion.

Shelley said: “I love where I live and care a great deal about our town and local community so this has been the perfect role for me for the last 12 years. Being a local person means that lots of people know me and it’s easy for them to approach me for support from Tesco.

“Over the years I’ve helped at numerous coffee mornings, lunches, litter picks, fetes and gardening projects for local charities, schools, sports clubs and community groups in and around Launceston.

“I’ve shown hundreds of children around the store and helped them learn about where their food comes from as part of the Farm to Fork scheme.”

Shelley has also taken part in numerous Race for Life events throughout the South West, and has formed teams from the store to participate in fundraising for local charities — they have raised thousands of pounds over the years.

Other memorable events include tree surfing at Tamar Trails for Derriford neonatal unit; a ladies driving challenge for Marie Curie; and a Moonlight Memory walk for Children’s Hospice South West.

Shelley has also taken part in a St Luke’s Hospice Midnight walk, and the Launceston store raised over £8,000 for St Luke’s. Along with Tavistock, Caliington and Plymouth they raised £46,642.85 for the charity.

The store has also run a ‘design a bag’ competition for St Stephens School Area Resource Base (ARB) and sold the bags to raise money for a new sensory room; planted the flower bed at pages cross; and Shelley has even manned the tea tent at DIY SOS Cornwall!

Shelley manages the Bags of Help Scheme at the store which in the past few years has seen thousands of pounds handed out to benefit local groups.

Shelley also works closely with Launceston foodbank, supporting them as much as possible with their collection point in store, and their annual food collections.

She also supports the town council with various events throughout the year, helps with activities for children at the library and can be seen giving out water and fruit at various sporting events.

She added: “I consider myself lucky that Tesco cares about the community around its stores and allows me to fulfil this role.”