SPARK:York is launching a new initiative to help its tenants during the coronavirus outbreak.

The 'Spark:Go' initiative will see the social space and street food hub, on Piccadilly, offer a collection service from today (Wednesday), with a delivery service available in the coming days.

It comes after Spark announced it was closing to the public with immediate effect on Monday in response to the government’s new coronavirus measures.

But last night Spark:York announced it would be reborn as a collection service from noon today.

Following a positive meeting with tenants, Spark directors said it will offer "a collection service from our front entrance."

They said: "This will be clearly marked with signage, and strictly managed to ensure safety and cleanliness is of the highest level."

The directors have explained how the service will work:

- All payments will be contactless on collection

- They would like to encourage bulk and bigger orders to reduce social contact, and increase revenue for their businesses

- Menus and pricing will be simplified to allow for easy ordering ⁣

- Individual orders must be made with businesses via the telephone, pre-ordering is encouraged

- All packaging will be sustainable and eco-friendly to ensure this does not cost the planet

The delivery service should be live in the coming days, with a more complex multi-trader ordering system in development. ⁣

The directors thanked York branding and web design agency Lazenby Brown for creating “some beautiful branding for us in a matter of hours."

The directors added: "We’d just like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all the love shown to Spark and the businesses that exist here over the last 24 hours. All your messages of support having given us a collective energy today that means this next phase now feels possible."⁣