A BASINGSTOKE charity will benefit from a £500 donation from Tesco after the supermarket giant opened a new Express store in Oakridge, Basingstoke.

"Local hero" Daphne Mitchell, of Lilac Way, Basingstoke, was asked to formally open the Tesco Express store in Oakridge Road after winning the company's "Search for a Local Hero" competition.

She was nominated by her grandchildren Sarah Turner, 15, who attends Fort Hill Community School, 10-year-old Sophie and Steven Mitchell, seven, who both attend Winklebury Junior School, for her determination in overcoming a brain haemorrhage and a stroke in 1997.

Since her illness, Mrs Mitchell has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Headway, the brain injury association based at Basingstoke hospital, which helped her through her illness.

Mrs Mitchell said: "I'm very proud to have been nominated, especially when my grandson Steven keeps saying he's really proud of me. With a brain injury, it's not like breaking a leg or arm, it takes about 10 years to get better. But people cannot spend all that time in hospital to get the help they need, so Headway is vital."

The doors of the new store opened for the first time on Monday, when Mrs Mitchell and Headway day centre co-ordinator Jean Hanson were presented with the competition prize money.

The new store is part of a nationwide initiative by Tesco. The store will be open from 6am until 11pm, seven days a week.