Tracey Groom, of Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, has been named Retail Staff Member of the Year at the Charity Retail Awards 2019

A Scottish charity worker has picked up an award.

A manager for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland has won Retail Staff Member of the Year at the Charity Retail Awards 2019.

Regional retail support manager Tracey Groom has worked across the central belt to create retail community hubs for the charity, including recently in Drumchapel, Glasgow. Tracey’s saw off nominees from charity shops across the UK to gain the award.

According to Chest Heart and Stroke, Tracey has more than doubled the number of donated bags, created a community retail space, trained staff to reinforce the community hub message, organised over 1000 people through the Drumchapel Hub meeting rooms and much more.

Organised by the Charity Retail Association, the Charity Retail Awards were held in Nottingham last week, hosted by ITV’s Paul Sinha.

“I’m delighted to have received this award!,” said Tracey. “I couldn’t have achieved this honour without the help of our hub staff and volunteers, without their enthusiasm and support we wouldn’t be here.

“I’m really proud of Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland’s Community Hubs, we tried something different and innovative and it has worked. We are targeting communities where we can make the most difference for example Drumchapel where health inequalities are particularly stark. We are able to support and work with so many more people in the community now because we are based in the heart of it, combining charity shops with a free community space.”

Rachel Blair, public affairs and communications officer for the Charity Retail Association in Scotland, said: “Congratulations to Tracey and all of our award winners who showcase outstanding talent in the sector. The awards night provided an opportunity to celebrate the innovative and inspirational work which takes place on charity shop floors across the country.”