STAFF at the Ruth Winston Centre are celebrating after it is chosen by a major supermarket as its charity of the year.

The activity day centre for the over-50s, which was first of its kind in the country, has become the local charity of the year for Sainsbury’s in Winchmore Hill.

The charity received a 150 nominations from customers and staff in a vote last month, beating runners0up Radiomarathon, a Turkey Street-based charity for people with physical and learning disabilities, and the Nightingale Community Hospice.

Evi McKenzie of Sainsbury’s said staff would be invited to become volunteers and help raise funds, with raffles and a dressing-up day already in the pipeline.

She said: “There was competition from the two other charities but this one was the most in need. Customers are very supportive of them and many find it is an organisation which benefits them. We hope to make about £750 per month just from in-store collections - staff know they are welcome to come in and shake those buckets.

“The store manager has also agreed to offer the park around Sainsbury’s to the centre if it has any outside events.”

Chris Rash, the chairman of trustees for the centre, said: “We are absolutely delighted, it is a great boost.

“Their staff indicated they could volunteer as well. I thought that was absolutely excellent. We can’t afford to employ someone as a catering assistant at lunchtime but we need someone with a food hygiene certificate and we only just manage to do it. But everyone who works at Sainsbury’s with food has that as part of their training.”

Membership of the centre has now more than doubled because of fundraising progress, according to the staff, from below 500 last December, to about 850 with a further 350 people now using the premises in Green Lanes through outside activities and clubs.

The news comes after the centre was given a lottery grant of £10,000 earlier in the year for new computing equipment and a £50,000 grant from Enfield Council to help pay the salaries of the manager and administrator.

Mr Rash said: “We are keeping are heads above water, but there are always bills to pay. But if we get more optimum use of the centre we shall be able to become self-supporting. Now more than 1,000 people a week come in and we are absolutely delighted.”

The centre is currently expanding its activities, having recently launched Spanish and Italian classes and beauty therapy sessions.