Asda’s President and CEO Roger Burnley has written to customers to pledge Asda’s support for over 3,500 care homes across the country, as they continue to care for some of the nation’s most vulnerable people through COVID-19.
Recognising the concerns of Asda’s customers and colleagues around the impact of COVID-19 on care homes, Burnley used his regular email to customers to outline how Asda will be extending its support for the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chain is now offering thousands of small care homes priority access to online delivery slots for the next six months, as well as a donation of 250,000 medical grade face masks to help protect workers and residents.
The offer of support has been sent to 3,500 small care homes who already have their details registered with Asda – inviting them to register for a ‘priority pass’ with the supermarket, giving them early visibility of online slots and the ability to secure a delivery and ensure they have the essentials they need for their residents.
The service is in addition to the 130,000 extremely vulnerable individuals Asda is supporting with regular deliveries as a result of the information on ‘shielded’ individuals provided to supermarkets by Government.
Burnley said in his email to customers, “The impact of Covid on our care system has been the subject of numerous news reports in recent days, and the challenges facing our nation’s care homes and the staff who are working so hard to protect some of our most vulnerable people have been heart-breaking to see.
“Giving priority access to these amazing care homes is, I believe, the right thing for us to do – and I am proud, that having built the capacity of our online delivery service in recent weeks from 450,000 slots to 700,000 weekly slots, we are able to do this for our care homes.'
Burnley also said that in addition to providing priority passes for our care homes, the retailer would also be donating 250,000 medical grade masks to care home customers, which are set to be delivered by in the middle of May. Asda’s dedicated Community Champions are also being encouraged to look at how they can extend their existing support to care homes in their local area.
Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO at Care England, said, “Care staff are on the front line of this dreadful pandemic and it is great to see Asda offering practical help and support to Care services and their staff.
'Asda has a long tradition of supporting their local communities and their support for care services at this difficult time is greatly appreciated by us all.“
The offer of additional support to care homes builds on Asda’s existing work to support NHS workers and those who work in the care sector. Since the beginning of lockdown these workers have been offered priority access to Asda’s stores before 9am each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning—as well as an exclusive browsing hour on Sunday morning, before stores open.
Key workers have also given a £5 voucher to treat themselves during their ‘exclusive’ shopping hour, as a token of appreciation for their efforts.