Asda partners with Leeds City Council to provide free school meals this Christmas

Colleagues from our home office in Leeds teamed up with the city councilto pack up hundreds of food parcels which will be distributed to families in need of a little extra help during the Christmas holidays.

As part of our Fight Hunger initiative we’re providing one million meals to support families across the UK during the Christmas holidays.

And in Leeds, where our home office is, we're working with Leeds City Council to provide free meals during the Christmas holiday and February half-term to 34,000 children estimated to live in poverty in the city.

We used our logistics and delivery experience and contacts to help Catering Leeds, part of Leeds City Council, arrange for food to be delivered directly to the homes of children.

Our Fight Hunger Manager Kloe Tegg said: “Supporting the most vulnerable in our communities is something that’s really important to Asda and delivering food to those in need is more important than ever, after what has been a difficult year for so many families.

"I’m incredibly proud of how teams all across Asda have come together to be able to support and volunteer for this fantastic initiative which will deliver thousands of meals across the city, I know that these parcels will make such a difference to so many families.

"As part of our Fight Hunger Create Change programme, we’ve committed to providing one million meals to families across the UK over the festive period, but we wanted to go further which is why we are proudly supporting Leeds City Council to deliver free meals to children throughout the festive holidays and beyond."

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for learning, skills and employment said:“We know that this year remains incredibly difficult for many families in Leeds and we are committed to supporting our most vulnerable residents as we battle through this uncertain winter period.

"No family should have to worry about providing food for their children during school holidays and we hope that by providing these hampers we will be easing the pressure on some of our most vulnerable families at the end of what has been a tough year for us all.”