Supermarket charitable donations

Some supermarkets have started charitable funds to help people in their communities during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. We will update this page periodically.

Supermarkets and foodservice companies

Announced on 3 April 2020, 40 UK companies are collaborating to safeguard supply to foodbanks and emergency food aid providers. They will donate food products and funds over the coming weeks via the food distribution charity FareShare, which is now working in partnership with a wide range of charitable and local food aid providers.

John Lewis and Waitrose

Waitrose is creating a £1 million Community Support Fund to be used as direct aid for the communities they and their Partners live and work in. Local shops will have these funds to support their local area based on the needs of the community. Help will include setting up additional local delivery services to support people isolated in their homes; for delivering essential items to local care homes and community groups; and for donating products to create care packages for customers to share with vulnerable neighbours.

The Co-op

The Co-op has pledged to offer free school meals to the pupils of their 25 academies who are entitled to them, in the event that closures will be announced amid the coronavirus pandemic The Co-op also.dropped their Easter 2020 campaign to support the surplus food redistribution charity FareShare instead. The Co-op have pledged £1.5m and are offering shoppers to donate at tills in store or to text a donation.

Tesco

Announced on 1 April 2020, Tesco launched a £30m Covid-19 Community Fund to help groups in need with grants of £500 to support local community groups. Over the next 12 weeks, Tesco plans to provide an additional top-up donation of £15 million of food to FareShare and the Trussell Trust for distribution to community groups and food banks. It will also donate £1million between the two organisations to support their operations.

Asda

Announced on 3 April 2020, Asda will be donating £5 million to FareShare and the Trussell Trust to help provide over 4 million meals to families impacted by coronavirus, as well as giving more than 3,000 charities the ability to access free food over the next three months. They are also supporting a ‘volunteer shopping card’, giving those self-isolating a contact-free way to allow others to collect and pay for their weekly shop, without risking handing over a debit card or using cash.