Lily Owsley MBE, part of the Olympic gold medal-winning women’s hockey team from Rio 2016, has officially opened the new £1m EH Smith ‘Local’ branch in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham.

EH Smith has redeveloped a derelict site on Chester Road in the city as one of its new ‘Local’ branches, offering a wide variety of stock to provide local trades with all they require. The new branch has also created eight new jobs for the firm, which saw its strongest ever trading year in 2016.

Ms Owsley joined staff, customers and local residents to cut the company’s traditional hazard tape, launching the new branch and topping off a week of events encouraging local trades and DIY enthusiasts to explore the new store and meet the staff.

Branch manager Adam Elwell said: “It has been a fantastic week. Local trades have been popping in for the materials they need on local sites and the community seems to have taken us to their hearts already – calling in to pick up all sorts of DIY products and asking advice, which we’re always happy to provide.”