Tesco has announced a £30million package of support for local communities tackling Covid-19.

Groups in York which are in need of help can apply for £500 grant from the supermarket giant's COVID-19 Community Fund.

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 – food they need for distribution to community groups and food banks.

It will also donate £1million between the two organisations to support their operations.

This is on top of £3million of food it donates every month through its Community Food Connection scheme and distribution centres.

The retailer will also focus £2million from its existing Bags of Help community donation scheme to charities helping the most vulnerable.

Tesco is also donating £2 million to help the British Red Cross with the extra costs they face in supporting people in need.

And Tesco's stores will open up access to more than £1million of funding to support causes in their local area.

Tesco Group CEO, Dave Lewis, said: “Our stores are at the heart of the communities we serve and as well as supporting our customers and colleagues, we want to help those who need it most, locally.

"We will significantly boost our food donations programme, to ensure food banks and community groups have the supplies they need; whilst giving extra resources to the British Red Cross and focus our Bags of Help scheme to deliver more community support where its most needed at this difficult time.”

How to apply for funding through Bags of Help:

Tesco's Bags of Help COVID-19 Community Fund aims to support groups with grants of £500. This includes, but is not limited to, women’s refuges, foodbanks, hospices, homeless charities, social isolation groups, schools, charities supporting the elderly and local authorities.

The application and payment process is simple to provide support quickly to these important causes.

Any groups that would benefit from this funding should apply at www.tescobagsofhelp.org.uk

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of FareShare, said: “As the coronavirus crisis continues, we are very thankful to our longstanding partner, Tesco for their generous support.

"We know that many of the frontline charities we work with are continuing to provide vital support in their communities, and so the combination of funding and unprecedented food donations from Tesco will allow us to ensure they have a consistent supply of food during this difficult time.”

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “We believe everyone should be able to afford their own food. That’s why we are so grateful to Tesco who will, as the pandemic develops, provide support to communities across the UK where we’re working closely with food banks, helping people who can’t afford essentials to get an emergency food parcel.”

Mike Adamson, chief executive of British Red Cross, said: “The world is facing an unprecedented global emergency and we are extremely thankful for Tesco’s generous donation which together will help us continue our vital work, putting kindness into action and supporting the most vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak.”