A SUPERMARKET in Stow-on-the-Wold celebrated its 20th birthday by opening a community room.

Tesco in Fosse Way launched the facility for use by the public as a way of strengthening its links with the local community.

Clare Peaston, community champion at the store, said: “It’s going to be for groups and organisations to hire to use free of charge. It holds up to 16 people, so it’s only for small groups.

"“Children from local schools and children's groups can come into store or we can go to them and it's just educating children about where their food comes from and what they're eating.

“It doesn't apply as much round here, but in certain towns and cities children aren't going to know that milk comes from a cow.

"The teaching is around sustainability and what's a good balanced healthy meal to eat.”

She said it is largely for groups that are “struggling to find somewhere, or can’t afford to book somewhere” with the first booking being a committee meeting of Great Rissington Archers.

At the launch, Rebecca Herringshaw, enabler for the store’s Bags of Help (BoH) scheme, which provides grants of up to £4,000 to community projects, was on hand to tell members of the public about the new facility and ongoing scheme.

The funding for BoH is generated through carrier bag sales, with customers given a token to select which of three selected causes, which change every two months, is most worthy of the funding.

On display at the store were also photos from across the last 20 years, while a video showing the launch in 1997 was played, before a wine and cheese evening was held in the community room.