Asda in Galashiels has been given a prestigious award, acknowledging the store’s commitment to the safety of its customers and the local community.
It is the first Scottish branch of the retail giant to receive the Safer Retailer Award from the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC).
The accolade was presented on Friday by the SBCC’s executive director Mandy Haeburn-Little to store manager Lynne Taylor.
The crime centre’s assessing officer Matt Ronnan said of the award: “It is given to stores that focus on the important issues of preventing crime, disorder and public nuisance, securing public safety, improving public health and protecting children from harm, particularly in relation to the sale of age-restricted goods.”
Community beat officer, PC John Lennon said: “The commitment, professionalism and hard work shown by Asda colleagues is first class and this award demonstrates more than just a commitment from the company to create a safer shopping experience for their customers.”
Inspector Mike Wynne added: “Lothian and Borders Police is committed to tackling retail crime and antisocial behaviour at local level and my officers work closely with, and offer support to, all the local retail premises in the town to ensure they are suitably equipped to deal with and to deter criminals. The award is a credit to the work put in by the shop’s staff.”
Mrs Taylor said: “I am delighted to achieve the award with merit both for my colleagues in the shop as well as the local community.
“It is an example of the dedicated work and effort to ensure our customers have a safe and relatively stress-free shopping experience.”
She revealed that Asda was extending the ethos of public safety into the wider Galashiels community and, on April 23, two of her staff, Anthony Wiseman and Rhys Gilchrist, are to walk the 212 miles of the Southern Upland Way in 10 days. Funds raised will provide a crime prevention retail radio link for the town centre.
She went on: “We are about to launch a five-year investment into our community and this is just the first of many things we will do in and around the Borders.
“We will be launching our community life project on March 26 and will be holding a roadshow in the store that week when staff will be able to tell customers how we can help them in their local community.”
Meanwhile, Asda has started a health eating project with a local school. Last week, the store’s community life champion Amy Bryson spoke to pupils at Glendinning Terrace primary.
Asda has donated a vegetable growing toolkit and Amy will return in May to measure and weigh the produce.