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ASDA West Swindon

Opening hours collapse store hours, store hours:, holiday hours expand holiday hours, find out more about..., main services.

Click and Collect Lockers

Click to book your grocery collection at a time to suit you. We'll pick and pack it ready for your arrival

Pharmacy (01793 758010)

Our Asda Pharmacies are open 7 days a week, including late evenings and bank holidays, to provide a variety of healthcare services to help support your health and wellbeing.

At Asda Opticians we offer eye tests, great value contact lenses, and clear prices on prescription glasses.

Kids Eat Free Monday-Friday after 3pm when an adult spends just £4, and Pensioners get 10% off on a Wednesday.

Travel Money Bureau

Find competitive travel money exchange rates at our travel money bureau. It’s as easy to buy foreign currency for your upcoming holiday as it is to pick up your weekly shop.

Visit George to discover clothing, home accessories and footwear for the whole family, including school uniforms, women’s dresses and accessories.

Go to the parcel collection point closest to entrance C, near the checkouts

Sending money abroad is quick, safe and easy with Asda. We keep an eye on exchange rates and always check our prices against the largest money transfer providers. Trust Asda to make your money go further.

You can use both our Scan & Go Handsets and Mobile App in this store, the handsets will operate between listed hours and Mobile App is 24/7

Sometimes you just need your shopping quickly. We’ve partnered with 3rd party delivery services to offer our fastest same day shopping delivery service yet. Just pop what you need in your trolley and, depending on the number of items, choose an Express slot within the next 4 hours. You can even track delivery from store to door.

Click/Collect/Return at Asda stores with over a 100 of your favourite retailers.

Asda has partnered with Deliveroo for grocery home delivery. You can choose from a wide range of products from the Asda range, including everyday essentials, meal solutions and treats for your big night in.

Asda has partnered with Just Eat for grocery home delivery. You can choose from a wide range of products from the Asda range, including everyday essentials, meal solutions and treats for your big night in.

Asda has partnered with Uber Eats for grocery home delivery. You can choose from a wide range of products from the Asda range, including everyday essentials, meal solutions and treats for your big night in.

Asda Rewards is now live in your store and on grocery shopping online. Our first ever customer loyalty programme where you can earn pounds, not points! You can earn on star products, superstar products and missions to build your Cashpot simply by shopping with us. Convert your Cashpot to Asda Vouchers and redeem on the weekly shop or even an extra treat for you and the family.

Making celebrations a piece of cake! A dedicated egg-free cake shop producing the highest quality eggless, vegetarian fresh cream cakes, desserts and treats for all occasions, available in select ASDA stores. Offering free personalisation and ready for collection in just 1 hour!

Claire’s offers the best trends and the hottest styles at everyday deals! You’re going to love our huge range of fashion, hair, beauty & accessories to give your personal style a little upgrade. You and your kids will also love our awesome range of toys & collectibles for hours of fun. Find us in the George department. Claire’s… be the most YOU!

Cash in your loose change. No counting, sorting, or bagging required, just pour your coins into a machine and let us do the work.

Krispy Kreme's latest and freshest doughnuts available at this store.

The SMARTDrop is part of the musicMagpie mobile phone trade-in service. Get cash instantly into your bank account or Paypal when using the SMARTDrop. To get a free valuation and start your trade-in journey, please visit musicmagpie.com for details.

Authentic flavours of East and Southeast Asia. From our delicious range of hot noodles and rice bowls to freshly rolled sushi, Panku has something for everyone.

Rug Doctor carpet cleaner is the professional-grade product of choice for householders and businesses across the UK.

About ASDA - West Swindon

Asda West Swindon is part of the Asda group; one of Britain’s leading grocery retailers. Asda offers great prices and quality products helping customers save money & live better. Visit us in-store and get groceries delivered to anywhere in the UK, or collect from your local store or petrol station at a convenient time for you.

Are you a charity or not for profit organisation looking for support from Asda? Then contact your Local Community Champion to discuss:

• Local grants
• Product donation
• Using Asda facilities
• Volunteering

For further information contact your community champion at [email protected]

Have you found an Asda trolley in your community that has been taken from our store? Click the trolley to see more information on how you can let us know exactly where it is and we'll come and collect it and return it back to store.

Nearby Stores

Asda swindon haydon, asda wootton bassett express petrol, asda dorcan way express petrol.

635th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment

635-й зенитно-ракетный полк

Military Unit: 86646

Activated 1953 in Stepanshchino, Moscow Oblast - initially as the 1945th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment for Special Use and from 1955 as the 635th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment for Special Use.

1953 to 1984 equipped with 60 S-25 (SA-1) launchers:

• Launch area: 55 15 43N, 38 32 13E (US designation: Moscow SAM site E14-1)
• Support area: 55 16 50N, 38 32 28E
• Guidance area: 55 16 31N, 38 30 38E

1984 converted to the S-300PT (SA-10) with three independent battalions:

• 1st independent Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion (Bessonovo, Moscow Oblast) - 55 09 34N, 38 22 26E
• 2nd independent Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion and HQ (Stepanshchino, Moscow Oblast) - 55 15 31N, 38 32 23E
• 3rd independent Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion (Shcherbovo, Moscow Oblast) - 55 22 32N, 38 43 33E

Disbanded 1.5.98.

Subordination:

• 1st Special Air Defence Corps , 1953 - 1.6.88
• 86th Air Defence Division , 1.6.88 - 1.10.94
• 86th Air Defence Brigade , 1.10.94 - 1.10.95
• 86th Air Defence Division , 1.10.95 - 1.5.98

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Country: Russia

Continent: Europe

Population: 11,514,300

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For all cities with a population greater than five hundred thousand, Moscow is closest to Tula and farthest from Auckland . The closest foreign city is Gomel and the farthest domestic city is Vladivostok . See below for the top 5 closest and farthest cities (domestically, internationally and by continent) and to see which cities, if any, Moscow is the closest and farthest to. Filter to include all cities over 100k, 500k or 1 million in population.

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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Money blog: 'He bought it on eBay thinking it was a toy' - How £600 car turning up at a mum's house helped inspire GoHenry

In the first of our Women in Business series, we speak to GoHenry founder Louise Hill about her journey to the top. Read this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog below, and leave your thoughts in the comments box.

Tuesday 28 May 2024 21:44, UK

• NatWest down: Major banking app crashes
• Chocolate bars with 'menopause almonds' branded a 'ridiculous money-making product'
• Raheem Sterling to pay for 14 people to go to university and applications close this Thursday
• Renters Reform Bill shelved - while leasehold bill passes without cap on ground rents

Essential reads

• Women in Business : 'A truck unloaded a £600 car that her son bought on eBay thinking it was a toy' - The schoolgate stories that led to GoHenry
• The pension policy some say is unsustainable - but that no politician will commit to scrapping
• Money Problem : 'My mortgage lender is ending my two-year fix and I haven't been in the house for two years - can they do this?'
• How much is pocket money in 2024 and where are kids spending it?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

Just 18% of companies in the UK are led by women, a nd while data suggests female entrepreneurs are on the rise, men still receive more funding and are entrusted with higher average loans to get them started.  

In a new series every Tuesday,  Money blog reporter Jess Sharp speaks to women who are bossing it in their respective fields - hearing their stories, struggles and advice for those who want to follow in their footsteps. 

First up is the co-founder and CEO of GoHenry, Louise Hill...  

For many women, having kids pauses or unfairly disrupts their careers. For Louise, the opposite happened. 

Growing up in Lowestoft on the east coast of England, she had a childhood filled with days on the beach, kayaking and exploring old boats. But her own kids arrived into a very different world - one of apps and downloads and online market places.

It wasn't long before she started to think about financial education and the importance of practical money skills.  

Back when her two children had iPods and would download music from iTunes, she would print off an invoice every time they landed a bill in her inbox. The invoice would then be stuck on the fridge.

When they came to her at the weekend asking for pocket money, Louise would point to the fridge and deduct the amount they had already spent from their allowance.  

"I was trying to make them understand that money has to come from somewhere, and it really doesn't grow on trees," she told the Money team. 

"I could go through the process of saying, well you'd normally get £5 but here's what you've spent this week, so you only get £1.20." 

How the idea for GoHenry came about

Among school pick-ups and kids' football games, she heard other parents complaining about their children's spending habits.  

One parent told a story about her daughter spending £200 on an online My Little Pony game. Another didn't know what to do when a battered-up car arrived at her driveway on a flatbed truck after her son spent £600 on eBay on what he thought was a toy. 

"Everybody had a story. It was amazing to realise we were all having the same problems and kids were starting to have access through their parents to the digital world, but there was nothing in the market to help parents teach them to access it in a safe way," Louise said.  

"We wanted to create a service that would empower them with freedom, confidence, to use and understand money but in a safe environment."

The idea of GoHenry, a prepaid debit card and learning app, was born.  

With a big mortgage, little money to set up a business and two kids to look after following a divorce, Louise said she and her co-founders (who quickly left the company) "grafted".

"I could have got a fairly safe, well-paid corporate job - jumping off the edge of a cliff into the uncertainty of starting a business was quite a leap," she said.

"But, the idea was too good, frankly. 

"It took a little while to work out the right tool to use, so we worked nights, we worked weekends, we worked holidays, all because we really, really wanted to bring this to market." 

In an initial round of seed funding, she raised more than £650,000, which was followed by several successful crowdfunding campaigns. 

The challenges

Her company eventually launched in 2012 and while it's now a huge success, delivering a service to more than two million people across France, Spain, Italy, the US and the UK, Louise said it hasn't been without its challenges. 

The first one was the name. When it first came to market, the business was called PKTMNY (pronounced pocket money), but the name was changed about 18 months later after she realised it was "stupid".  

"Nobody could say it and nobody could spell it, it was a really silly idea," she added. 

The business got the name GoHenry after its very first customer – an 11-year-old boy named Henry from Bristol.

Another challenge was its scale of growth - GoHenry grew in a big way, very quickly, which meant constant changes needed to be made to the company structure. 

"About six or seven years ago, we were growing incredibly quickly... I know this sounds ridiculous but almost every six months you'd have to step back and look at what we needed," she said. 

This was an issue Louise had faced and failed to overcome years before in a previous business - an ecommerce company called Manners which she was forced to sell after running out of cash to sustain its growth. 

"We failed to think about how we would scale it. We couldn't grow it any more because we didn't have enough cash in the company. At the time, I was really cross with myself for not having thought about that," she said. 

'I was becoming a roadblock'

In around 2017-18, Louise realised another issue with GoHenry - herself. 

"I was becoming a roadblock. I was working flat out and so much of the information about why we did things the way we did them was in my head or in my laptop files," she explained.

"That kind of snuck up on me and I was fundamentally creating a risk for the business and stopping us growing as quickly as we could." 

She started a campaign across the company, encouraging staff to raise "single points of failure" to see where the problems were. 

"I appeared in there an awful lot," she said. "So, yeah, that's a top tip from me - don't let that sneak up on you. Plan ahead." 

What's been the key to her success? 

Now running for more than 12 years, GoHenry has continued to expand and innovate.

Louise said keeping her mission of "making every kid smart with money" at the forefront had been "fundamental". 

"That is our sole focus. This isn't an add-on product to another business, everyone who joins GoHenry is here for one reason and that's to serve Gen Z and now Generation Alpha's money needs and I think that makes a big difference," she added. 

Louise's advice for others 

"Who am I to give advice?" was her initial response when asked this question, adding that she hoped to see more young girls and women see images of people who look like them succeeding.

"The more that becomes the norm, the more people will think they can do it too," she said. 

"I've been asked many times what's the difference between a founder, an entrepreneur and a non-entrepreneur, and it has to come down to risk appetite," she added.

"I've thought about all sorts of different mindsets, different backgrounds, different abilities with, I don't know, spreadsheets or contacts... But at some point it comes down to being confident enough." 

So practically, she said women looking to set up a business should start by finding support groups.

"There are loads out there. They can be hugely helpful because founding a business can be lonely and a tough move to make. Nobody pretends that it's easy," she said. 

Another tip she had was to plan for scale "from day one", thinking about the partners you work with, the suppliers, how much money you need to bring in and how often you might need to "go out and get more money". 

But the most important lesson, she says, is was to hire people you know are better than you. 

"It's scary to hire people that you know are much better than you but if you can do that and then give them the space they need to do what they can really well, you'll have a much higher chance of a successful business," she said. 

" What's the worst that can happen if you fail? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start again." 

Thieves are targeting electric car charging cables in the latest spate of car crimes.

Data from Instavolt, the UK's largest operator of rapid chargers, found gangs had targeted 27 sites in Yorkshire and the Midlands since last November and stolen 174 cables.

With each cable costing at least £1,000, the operator, which runs Osprey Charging and BP Pulse, said this was affecting electric vehicle drivers.

It also risked deterring prospective drivers who wanted to make the move to electric cars, they said.

The company is now introducing a range of measures at charging stations to deter thieves, including installing extra CCTV, security patrols, using SmartWater to tag property and tracking devices.

Instavolt CEO Delvin Lane told Autocar : "These thefts are extremely frustrating for our customers and for us."

He also noted that it was a "misconception" that the copper in chargers brought real financial gain. 

"The value of any metal stolen is insignificant. The thefts just cause disruption to EV drivers - including those in the emergency services - looking to charge their vehicles," he said.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

A company that makes microchips for artificial intelligence and became the first chipmaker to be worth first $1trn then $2trn has today reached another record high.

Nvidia shares are now going for a record $1,132.19 after it posted higher-than-expected quarterly profits and made strong forecasts. Its value is now $2.62trn (£2.05trn)

The US-based, New York-listed company is in the ranks of tech giants worth the eye-watering trillion sum, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Google parent company Alphabet, as investors expect the company will benefit from the AI revolution.

Also making headlines was UK company Boohoo, the Manchester-based fast fashion retailer, as it cancelled annual bonuses worth £3m. 

A pay proposal for bosses was also ditched after talks with shareholders as the company has experienced losses after the pandemic-era online shopping boom faded and a cost of living crisis eroded consumer spending power.

Revolution Bars has rejected a proposed offer from rival Nightcap, warning it is "incapable of being delivered".

The hospitality group launched a sale process and restructuring plans last month amid efforts to stay afloat. The company's restructuring plans include £12.5m in fundraising and the closure of 18 venues.

But Revolution has said the non-binding proposal from Nightcap  did not include the proposed fundraising and would not work as it was "highly conditional".

Read the full story here ...

The rate of price rises in UK shops has returned to "normal levels", according to new industry figures.

Overall annual shop inflation eased to 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in April, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NielsenIQ said.

The figure is the lowest since November 2021.

More than 120 business leaders have written an open letter giving their backing to Labour in the general election.

The letter printed in The Times has been signed by figures including the founders of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, chef Tom Kerridge and former CEOs of Heathrow, JP Morgan and Aston Martin.

Openreach plans to build full fibre broadband in over 500 more locations across the UK, it has been announced.

The new locations include 400,000 sites in the hardest to reach, most rural parts of the country, including Tobermory in Argyll and Bute, Haworth in West Yorkshire, Saundersfoot in South Wales, Pinxton in Derbyshire, Harlow in Essex and Roborough in Devon.

The work, which is part of Openreach's £15bn project to upgrade the UK's broadband infrastructure, will cover a further 2.7 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

Clive Selley, chief executive of Openreach, said the plan was to build right across the UK, "from cities and towns to far-flung farms and island communities".

"Over time, we've learnt to deliver predictably, consistently and at a rapid pace - despite this being a hugely complex national engineering project," he said.

Check your full fibre availability here .

London is officially the world's cleverest city, according to an annual study.

Oxford Economics , an independent economic advisory firm, found the capital topped the list when it came to "human capital" - this encompasses the collective knowledge and skills of a city's population.

In its report, the firm found London came out on top in part due to the number of higher education institutions in the city, "which helps it achieve one of the highest rates of educational attainment in the world".

"London also attracts many highly educated people from abroad and several global corporations are headquartered in the city to take advantage of this world-class talent pool," the report added.

In second place was Tokyo and in third place was Riyadh.

Top cities by human capital score: 

1. London, UK

2. Tokyo, Japan

3. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

4. New York, US

5. Seoul, South Korea

6. Paris, France

7. Washington, DC, US

8. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

9. Sydney, Australia

10. Boston, US

Concerns are being raised as fast fashion retailer Shein has its sights set on a London stock market listing.

Our City editor Mark Kleinman previously reported the fast fashion giant had held talks with the London Stock Exchange about staging a blockbuster public listing in the UK. 

Shein has quickly become one of the world's biggest online clothing retailers and the talks came at a time of crisis for the City as a listing venue for large multinationals.

But senior MPs are calling for more scrutiny of the Chinese company, which sells ultra-cheap clothing and has faced allegations of labour malpractices. 

Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on X: "With Shein's prices so low, the London Stock Exchange needs to ask itself, whose suffering is subsiding those prices?

"A company which has failed to make full disclosures about its supply chains as required by UK law, and where there are grave concerns about its factory working conditions, has no place in London."

Sarah Champion, the Labour chair of the International Development Committee, told The Guardian: "Transparency in supply chains is vital and something all governments should be demanding. Serious concerns have been raised about the use of modern slavery by Shein which need investigating."

A Shein spokesperson told the Money blog that it acknowledged its role in "creating a more sustainable and responsible fashion industry" and "believed it was healthy to attract scrutiny and transparency" and "wanted to be held to the highest standards".

"Shein has a zero-tolerance policy for forced labour and we are committed to respecting human rights," they said in a statement.

"We take visibility across our entire supply chain seriously and we require our contract manufacturers to only source cotton from approved regions."

The company also said it was "investing millions of pounds in strengthening governance and compliance across its supply chain".

"Our regular supplier audits are showing a consistent improvement in performance and compliance by our supplier partners. This includes improvements in ensuring that workers are compensated fairly for what they do," they added.

Basically, the triple lock is a commitment from the government to keep the state pension in line with rising prices and wages.

The government's pledge is to uprate the new and basic pension every year by the highest of three things - earnings growth, inflation, or 2.5%. Hence the "triple" reference.

It was first announced by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government in the first budget following the 2010 election, and has been in place since the 2011-12 financial year – bar a brief suspension in 2022-23.

Prior to this, pensions had been increased at least in line with prices since 1980.

Why was it introduced?

The triple lock was brought in to protect the value of the state pension from being overtaken by increased living costs or the working population's income.

Announcing the scheme in his emergency June 2010 budget, then-chancellor George Osborne said pensioners would "have the income to live with dignity in retirement".

What does it apply to, what is it worth and who's eligible?

The triple lock applies to the basic or "old" state pension (paid to people who reached pension age before 6 April 2016), and the new state pension (6 April 2016 and later).

Last month saw the state pension rise by 8.5% to match the increase in average earnings - following a 10.1% hike the previous year.

It means for the current tax year (2024-25), the full new state pension is:

• £221.20 per week
• £11,502.40 per year

People who reached state pension age from April 2016 need at least 35 years on their national insurance record  to be eligible for the full new state pension.

The basic state pension is currently: 

• £169.50 per week
• £8,814 per year

Men born before 6 April 1945 will need at least 44 qualifying national insurance years to get the full pension, while for women it's 39. Men and women born between April 1945 and April 1951 need 30 years.

Will the triple lock continue?

An ageing population and soaring inflation has raised questions about its long-term affordability.

A 2023 report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the triple lock adds an extra £11bn a year to public spending, while the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned the "costly" scheme could push up pension spending by about 0.8% of GDP by the 2027-28 tax year.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said back in March that the Conservative Party would commit to keeping the triple lock if it won the general election - after previously saying it was being kept "under review".

The party has now announced plans for a "triple lock plus" that would see pensioners' personal tax allowance rise by the same percentage as their pensions.

The Tories have frozen income tax allowances until 2028 - meaning millions of Britons are paying more tax by "stealth", contributing to a record tax burden on the country.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also vowed to keep the regular triple lock for at least five years if his party replaces the Tories in power.

Read other entries in our Basically... series...

Raheem Sterling will financially support 14 students to attend university through his scholarship fund, with applications closing this week.

This will be the second year the Chelsea forward's scholarship programme will assist successful applicants at King's College London and the University of Manchester.

Applications for the Raheem Sterling Foundation Scholarship Programme is open to students of black, African and Caribbean heritage from socio-economically under-represented backgrounds to help bridge the equality gap.

It covers their tuition fees, accommodation and other essential costs.

But those who wish to apply will need to send in their application before the deadline this Thursday. 

Speaking to the The Times , Sterling noted that in 2021-22 less than 5% of all UK students starting degrees were black.

He said he wanted to "take away" the worry of finances so that those from minority backgrounds could "go on to achieve their goals".

"It's really nice to see some of what I envisioned coming to life now," he said.

"I wanted to structure the foundation in a way that we could react to need and not be too rigid, as life and circumstances can change quickly. 

"The focus is to provide opportunity to those who wouldn't otherwise have it, going into minority and under-served communities and opening eyes to new experiences."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

Shares in housebuilder Persimmon have dropped nearly 3% this morning after Sky News revealed it is exploring a £1bn takeover bid for rival Cala Group.

City editor  Mark Kleinman reported on Saturday that the company was considering the move ahead of a deadline for bids.

Analysts at JP Morgan said investors are price sensitive to potential mergers and acquisitions in the sector at the moment, with the UK's competition watchdog already looking into a potential £2.5bn buyout of housebuilder Redrow by its rival Barratt .

It comes amid expectations that housing will be a key issue in the current general election campaign, which got under way last week.

Otherwise, the FTSE 100 is quite flat following the bank holiday, and is currently down 0.15% in early trading.

Gainers this morning include Rolls-Royce, which is up nearly 2%, and grocery delivery firm Ocado, which is up more than 5%.

It comes after industry figures this morning revealed that shop price inflation has "returned to normal" .

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.27 US or €1.17.

A banking app used by millions of people crashed for thousands this morning.

The NatWest app was displaying an error message for some users, with approximately 3,000 reporting issues on Downdetector from 7am onwards.

Users took to X to complain, with some pointing out the fault had occurred on payday for many.

"NatWest online banking is always broken when I need it," one said.

Customers trying to use the app were greeted with the message: "We're sorry, some kind of error has occurred when trying to establish a connection between your device and ourselves."

Some 9.8 million people use the app, according to the NatWest Group.

A NatWest spokesperson said the issue had now been resolved.

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