Aldi is set to open a new store in Mansfield this month, with help from Team GB Olympian, Ellie Downie.

The new store, which is situated on Oakleaf Close, will open on Thursday, 12th April at 8am, where the European champion will cut the ribbon to declare the store officially open.

She will also treat the first 30 customers to bags of free fruit and veg, before meeting and greeting customers, signing autographs and taking selfies with shoppers.

Following the ribbon cutting, the Nottingham-born athlete, who was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2015, will speak to local sporting enthusiasts at Oak Tree Leisure Centre, Mansfield.

Ellie will aim to inspire young gymnast stars at Oak Tree Leisure Centre by talking about her career and how important a balanced diet is to fuel her busy training sessions.

The new Aldi Mansfield store will donate fresh fruit to the centre as part of its “Get Set to Eat Fresh” initiative, which aims to encourage children aged 5-14 to develop a love for fresh, healthy food.

Ellie said: “I’m really excited to open the new Aldi Mansfield store. It’s an honour to cut the ribbon in a place so close to where I grew up and started my journey towards becoming an Olympian. I enjoy giving back to my local community, talking to customers and signing autographs for fans.

“I’m also looking forward to speaking to the children at Oak Tree Leisure Centre about how to get involved in sports, maintain a healthy, balanced diet and encouraging them to cook with their parents. I hope it inspires local sporting talent to pursue their dreams and maybe one day compete on a national level too

“Maintaining a healthy diet is vital for me to perform at an Olympic level and Aldi’s Team GB partnership helps with that. I receive vouchers which allow me to stock up on fruit and vegetables, great for snacking between training.”

A total of 23 new jobs have been created with the store launch and Aldi is still recruiting for a variety of roles in the area, from store assistants to deputy store managers. Information and applications on all roles at Aldi can be found via www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/stores

Store manager Matthew Hallam added: “We’ve been working hard to get the store ready for opening day and the team are really excited to welcome customers through the doors over the coming months. We’re also very lucky to have Ellie with us to celebrate the launch, and we hope everyone enjoys what the new store has to offer.”