Tracy Hackett from Henderson Spar Brackenvale, Belfast, took home the Community Hero award, in addition to being awarded best sales assistant in the forecourt sector.

Tracy impressed the judges by combining sales prowess and customer service excellence with tireless effort on behalf of the local community and national good causes. Charities such as Childline and local premature baby charity Tiny Life have benefited from fundraising events including a day when all the staff dressed in their onesies, and she has also given up countless hours to persuade her product supplier contacts to help out with donations and samples to sell for charity.

In addition, Tracy has dedicated herself to mentoring a young man with Down’s syndrome in store, teaching him different tasks around the shop enabling him to grow in confidence immensely so that he is now a valued and productive member of the store team.

She is also a trained counsellor and volunteers regularly at a local support group.

Tracy was awarded £500 in prize money for reaching the finals, and a further £250 for winning the Community Hero award. “I’m genuinely shocked to have won as there was some seriously great competition this year,” she says. “My secret is just to be me. I’m genuinely passionate about this business, the store, its community and customers, and I guess it shows! To be honest, when you’re so immersed it’s easy to forget how much you do actually do!”