Sally Munday

Throughout the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Sport Industry Group is using our Cutting Edge Sport section to highlight the innovations, initiatives and ingenuity of the sport industry as it aims to help solve the issue and save lives.

Manchester United are to deliver 60,000 prepared meals for NHS staff across Manchester in a joint initiative between the club, the Manchester United Foundation, the club’s catering supplier, Bidfood, and Mealforce. 

The latter, a coalition of organisations which have come together in a co-ordinated philanthropic effort to deliver more than 500,000 meals in the last four weeks to frontline NHS workers across the UK, is part of the Helpforce charity, which supports volunteering in the NHS. 

In the coming weeks, the meals will be delivered to four sites across Manchester, providing for staff at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, who would normally have to provide their own meals while on-duty, according to the club.

Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer, Manchester United said: “It is an honour to provide this service as part of our support to the NHS. We are all indebted to them for what they are doing to protect and care for us all.  

“Our talented chefs and catering team are extremely proud to be making a contribution to the national effort at this time.”

The initiative will involve over 80 permanent and casual club staff, who have volunteered to prepare the food in the kitchens at Old Trafford in line with UK Government social distancing restrictions. Staff and facility costs are being covered by United while all other costs will be underwritten by Manchester United Foundation.