Exactly a month ago, McDonald’s across the UK closed for the first time ever as a precautionary measure due to COVID-19.
Despite restaurants remaining closed, employees and franchisees have continued serving their local communities and supporting national organisations, helping those that need it the most.
Over the past month McDonald’s has donated more than 300 tonnes of food and more than 100,000 litres of milk to key workers and vulnerable people through foodbanks and charities including FareShare, Company Shop and Food Drop.
These have gone to food banks and distribution centres in more than 1,900 towns and cities as serving more than 9,500 community groups across UK & Ireland.
To help families who have a child with severe special needs and support their care plan, McDonald’s has teamed up with the National Autistic Society to send out packaging to over 450 families, as well as hosting a downloadable PDF online, and sending packaging to Christine McGuiness for her children. For many children, the familiar Happy Meal box is found to be calming, and the packaging has helped parents across the country making mealtimes easier.
In addition, this week McDonald’s handed over use of its Meridian Business Park Drive Thru in Leicester for use by DHU Healthcare for COVID-19 testing for NHS workers.
As a proud supporter of British and Irish agriculture, working with over 23,000 farmers, McDonald’s is continuing to support farmers and suppliers through a partnership with The Prince’s Countryside Fund. The fun supplied Rural Response Emergency Grants, which helps support farming and rural communities as they navigate the challenges related to the Coronavirus.
RMHC Houses providing home away from home accommodation for families with poorly children in hospital have received weekly deliveries of food and drink to enable them to continue supporting those families in their hour of need.
As part of the BBC’s The Big Night In, McDonald’s was one of many organisations donating to the Emergency Essentials Programme, this funding will not only provide vital emergency support to ensure vulnerable people of all ages are safe, warm and fed, but will also ensure that they are able to continue to learn, and stay connected in order to combat isolation and loneliness.
On a more local level, charities, organisations, and vulnerable people have also been supported by franchisees and their restaurants up and down the country…
In central London restaurants donated food and drinks to Unity Works Trust who support people getting back into work. They were delivered to the homeless who had been housed by Westminster City Council.
In South London restaurants provided 500 aprons and 7,500 gloves to Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) Hospital who subsequently handed them to local hospices and care homes in the area.
Brixton Soup Kitchen was also the grateful recipient of a large quantity of food.
Restaurants in Wembley, Brent and Ealing distributed food and drink to local food banks
