A discount supermarket offering key workers their weekly groceries for around half the normal price is opening in Leicester this month.
Redistribution supermarket Company Shop Leicester will open its doors to workers in the NHS, emergency services, care homes and manufacturing supply chain, on August 26.
And during the pandemic it is temporarily extending its membership to include almost all other key workers 鈥 including people working in councils and schools.
As well as helping members save, the new store will create around 100 full-time and part-time jobs.
The 50,000 sq ft unit will also operate a processing and redistribution hub for the group鈥檚 growing store portfolio across the Midlands and beyond, alongside the 15,000 sq ft superstore.
The business is also launching a campaign to ensure that no child goes hungry during the school holidays.
Local families eligible for Free School Meals vouchers or in receipt of welfare support will be able to redeem a 拢15 voucher, per child, for every week during the summer holidays, when the store opens.
A spokesman for the business said: 鈥淭his support comes at a critical time, with many families already facing increased hardship due to COVID-19.
鈥淭his has now been furthered by the onset of the school holidays, where many families struggle to access the provision they need, including food.
鈥淚t is also reflective of the group鈥檚 commitment to the local area.鈥
Because the Leicester store is opening towards the end of the summer holidays the business is backdating the offer, meaning Leicestershire families will have access to the full 拢90 per child from the opening date.
This extended provision follows a 拢900,000 donation from its partner Nestle, and means the shop can match-fund the Government鈥檚 voucher scheme.
The Company Shop group is extending the offer to families with children receiving means tested benefits, as well as families with children aged five-and-under, which the Government scheme does not cover.
Families do not need to be members of the store to benefit, but will be able to shop there when collecting their vouchers.
Steph McGinty, retail, people and communities director for the business, said: 鈥淭he school holidays can be a really difficult period for many children and families, so we want to provide as much support as we can to the people of Leicester and beyond.
鈥淭his scheme will enable many families to more than double the amount of food and products that they would typically be able to access, at such a critical time.
鈥淲e would really encourage any eligible families to come along and redeem their vouchers as soon as we open our doors at the end of August.
鈥淲e are really excited to be opening our latest Company Shop store here in Leicester, which will help to benefit thousands of hard-working families with the heavily discounted items on offer, alongside this 拢15 voucher scheme for eligible families.鈥
Company Shop Leicester will be based on the Leicester Distribution Park, off the A47 near Leicester Forest East, and will redistribute in-date food and household products which would otherwise go to waste each year.
As well as letting members access heavily discounted products from national brands, it also helps the environment by preventing unnecessary waste.
Company Shop Group has eight superstores across England and Scotland, stocking items from household brands such as Waitrose, Nestle, Iceland and Tesco.
