WHAT I’M CALLED: Chris Waites.

MY AGE IN YEARS: 25 years old.

WHAT I DO: I’m busy setting up The People’s Supermarket Oxford, a non-profit community-owned store on the Cowley Road. “Setting up” means anything from negotiating rent to sweeping the floor and making tea. In my fleeting moments of free time I convert diesel cars to run on recycled vegetable oil.

WHERE I LIVE: The pretty village of Long Wittenham, near Didcot.

WHO I LOVE: Apart from my amazing wife Miriam and great family; building TPS has made me realise I love the people of Oxford. We’ve build something on a shoestring budget that would cost a supermarket £1m.

HAPPIEST YEAR: Every year I meet new people, experience new things and get a lot happier!

DARKEST MOMENT: Like most teenagers I had a few difficult times. I hope that we can use TPS as a hub to provide help and training for young people going through this challenging time of life.

PROUDEST BOAST: It’s not really a boast, but I’m always pleased when people say incredulously that I’m “only 25”. Experience is great but enthusiasm is even more important.

WORST WEAKNESS: I find it difficult to stick to all new 50mph limits on rural Oxfordshire roads.

LESSONS LEARNED: If you’re offered an opportunity you should grab it. Exciting choices are the difficult ones to make – it’s very easy to slip into making routine, boring choices.

DULLEST JOB: You meet great people even at dull jobs. The only job I couldn’t do would be one working alone most of the time.

GREATEST SHAME: If I admitted all the stupid things I did when I was young I’d end up in handcuffs!

LIFELONG HERO: I have a soft spot for eccentric people. One of my favourites is the 17th century Duke of Portland, who bet with the then Earl of Oxford that he could drive a horse and carriage through a tree. After much chopping, he won the bet.

WIDEST SMILE: Lots of my friends are having cute babies, which always makes me smile. Mainly because I can see them being adorable, then leave someone else to deal with the vomit/nappies/waking up at 4am!

FAVOURITE DREAM: I’d love it if in a couple of months’ time we’re buzzing with people buying cheaper, better, ethically sourced food from The People’s Supermarket.

BIGGEST REGRET: Not completing my university course at Oxford Brookes – although computing was definitely the wrong subject for me.