Birthday treat in store for Asda fan Ella, 3
THE only treats little Ella Ball wanted for her third birthday were some Paw Patrol toys, a party with her friends from nursery and a trip to Asda’s Rawtenstall store in her own special green uniform!
Ella’s mum Debbie has worked at the store since last July, and Ella likes nothing better than putting on her own uniform – adapted from one of Debbie’s old tops – to be like her mummy and helping Debbie’s colleagues at the store.
Debbie said: “I asked what she wanted to do for her birthday and she said, ‘Go to Asda.’ Every time she comes into store everyone makes a fuss of her – and she loves it!
“She loves the shopping, she loves helping – she’ll put things back on the shelves if she sees them in the wrong place – and she likes the attention everyone gives her.”
Ella’s become a familiar face at the store because she loves coming in so much, and Debbie says her colleagues are so welcoming.
Service colleague Debbie said: “The top she’s got is one of my old ones. It’s got a hole in it, so one of my colleagues, Elizabeth Johnstone, made it into one that Ella could wear.
“She always wants to come in. Yesterday when I was coming to work I had to leave her kicking and screaming at the door.”
For her birthday treat, Debbie arranged for Ella to come in to do a pretend shop, choosing items from the shelves, putting them in her trolley and scanning them through the checkout herself under the supervision of Debbie’s colleague Bev Buckley.
Debbie said: “She was only on the till for about five minutes but she loved it!”
The store’s community champion Laura Saxton says everyone loves it when Ella calls in on a shopping trip with Debbie.