Supermarket worker from Portsmouth wins clothing competition for her work during lockdown

Kyah Arnold, 21, from Portsmouth was picked by fashion retailer I Saw It First as one of three young female key workers in its recent social media competition.

The firm asked followers on its Instagram account to nominate a friend or family member who has been working throughout the pandemic.

The Manchester-based company then picked three women and gave them a year’s supply of clothing and style make over to say thank you.

Kyah said: ‘This competition has meant literally everything. Never in a million years did I think I would win, it is definitely something I’ll never forget.’

Kyah said that working in a supermarket has been tough – but she wouldn’t swap jobs.

She said: ‘Working in the retail industry throughout the pandemic has been challenging as customer demands have increased and we have had to take extra precautions to ensure customer safety.

‘It is difficult to stay positive while working within restrictions, but I love the interaction with so many different people and love that I can make just one person's day better.’

The other key workers and winners of the competition were student paramedic and Covid vaccinator, Hannaa Campbell, from Preston, and music and media teacher, Indigo Marshall, from Birmingham.

The online retailer received nearly 5,000 applications and its judges spent just two weeks deciding on the winners.

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Leanne Holmes, from I Saw It First, said: ‘New clothing inspires confidence and allows these young women to embrace their femininity by choosing styles and garments to reflect their individual personalities, characters, and identities outside of work.

‘As restrictions begin to lift we want to encourage our workers to take time and invest in themselves with a new wardrobe for going out or even just taking time to relax after a busy shift.’

The firm has brought in a key workers’ discount, which enables people working for the NHS, police, army, and government, to get a 35 per cent discount when using their work e-mail address.

To use go to isawitfirst.com/ and quote NHS35.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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