THE name of a kind-hearted volunteer will be known for miles around.

Ben Ahern, from Harwood, has had a delivery lorry named after him as part of a special celebration to recognise community heroes and to mark the 40th anniversary of Nisa, a convenience store chain.

The national retailer invited the public to nominate colleagues, friends and family to have their name adorning the delivery lorries.

Mr Ahern was nominated for the prize by a work colleague in recognition of the many hours he gives up to volunteer at Bolton-based charity Homeless Aid UK, to help people less fortunate than himself.

The lorry, bearing his name, was unveiled at the Nisa Local store in Halliwell Road, Halliwell, and the IT worker was presented with 100 pre-packed sandwiches donated by Nisa supplier On a Roll.

Mr Ahern said the sandwiches would be given to homeless people visiting a nearby soup kitchen over the next couple of days.

He said: “The sandwiches will be very welcome to the homeless people who come in every night.

“They certainly won’t go to waste and it’s a really nice gesture.”

Mr Ahern added: “I will keep my eyes open looking out for the lorry. It looks great, I’m really pleased.”

Owner of the Nisa store Krishan Patel, whose shop has been open since June this year, said: “It’s a great way to recognise the work Ben does and the fact this lorry will be delivering to stores in the area where Ben works means he also gets the chance to see it now and again.”

The Name a Nisa Lorry initiative was launched as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Nisa Retail and will see 40 lorries named after Nisa customers and their friends and family who were nominated via an online competition.