WIRRAL ' S LAURA SMITH CROWNED STORE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
MASSIVE SUMMER AHEAD AS WIRRAL REACHES KEY POINT IN REGENERATION PLANS
IN BRIEF
WIRRAL ' S LAURA SMITH CROWNED STORE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
MASSIVE SUMMER AHEAD AS WIRRAL REACHES KEY POINT IN REGENERATION PLANS
Last week saw Sainsbury ’ s store manager , Laura Smith triumph at The Grocer Gold Awards – the Oscars of the grocery retail industry – in a ceremony celebrating the best retailers , brand campaigns and business leaders .
The mum of two originally joined Sainsbury ’ s as a trainee manager 31 years ago having secured a role following her A-levels and now leads a 187 strong team at the Upton store where she took over as store manager on a part time basis , building a strong team around her .
During her career , Laura has held a number of roles , both in store and in the field , progressing to the role of Deputy Store Manager after ten years as a department manager . Laura was able to progress and grow within Sainsbury ’ s all whilst raising her children and is a prime example of how a work and life balance can be achieved . When the children were young , she was able to work three days a week and as they got older , she worked four days .
As the first female store manager of The Wirral location , judges commented on how Smith leads her team in a way that puts the customer at front and centre and that she is committed to spending time on the shop floor coaching and empowering colleagues to give the very best shopper experience . As a senior retail manager , Smith inspired her team to believe that a new management structure , with her working part time , would work . Smith ’ s trademark leadership style is about working closely with her colleagues to make sure that they feel supported and empowered which produces incredible results and has enabled her to raise a family and have a career at the same time .
Colleagues say of her , “ she is able to be highly personable while still upholding a high-performance culture in which all colleagues in the store know what is expected of them .”
Smith and her team also take the corporate responsibility of the store and the impact that Sainsbury ’ s Upton has on its local community to heart , working closely with the Charles Thompson Mission to provide food hampers for distribution to local families that are struggling with food poverty .
Commenting on her win , Smith said , “ It is a fantastic store and I ’ ve got an amazing team . I feel like it ’ s the team ’ s win . Thank you !”
Summer 2023 is set to be a pivotal moment in Wirral ’ s hugely ambitious regeneration programme and the next few months will give the people of the borough a unique chance to have their say on the next steps .
Over July , August and September there will be consultations on a range of projects , each of which will be key in transforming the borough ’ s Left Bank . The consultations are being brought forward to get the views of as many people who live , work and visit Wirral as possible .
Leader of Wirral Council , Cllr Paul Stuart , said : " It is vital that people use this opportunity now to tell us their views , ideas , concerns and hopes about the proposals and regeneration plans the council is working on .
" It is a key point in the process when people can make sure their voice is heard , and Wirral ' s regeneration delivers positive change , building a brighter future for Wirral and our residents . Together we can make Wirral an even better place to live , work , visit , start and grow our families and support businesses in creating employment opportunities . The forthcoming consultations will also be putting an even greater emphasis on engaging with the people face to face through the use of the innovative BirkenEd ’ s Place , where people can “ drop in ” and find out more about the plans being consulted on ."
The plans being suggested for Northside would result in purpose-built business and employment accommodation . The Dock Branch Park is an innovative use of a former railway line which cuts across part of central Birkenhead and is intended to become the centrepiece of the proposed new Dock Branch Neighbourhood through creative use of the surrounding sites . The park would provide much needed greenspace within the heart of the town and it is important that people come forward and discuss the ideas for how they would like to see this neighbourhood develop .
More details of how to take part in these consultations will be made available as they get underway – follow Wirral Council ’ s social media ( Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIN ), sign up for the WirralView newsletter or drop into BirkenEd ’ s Place .
BirkenEd ’ s Place is at 8-10 Borough Pavement , Grange Precinct , Birkenhead , and is open Monday , Wednesday , Thursday 11-4.30pm and Saturday 11-4pm for people to drop in , chat , have a cuppa and take part in some of the consultations . wirrallife . com 7