Child of Wales sponsor Iceland has been going above and beyond in its response to the county’s Coronavirus crisis. Here are just some of the things our valued partner has been doing to make us proud here at Child of Wales.

Firstly, Iceland was the first supermarket to announce dedicated hours for the elderly and the vulnerable as well as offering exclusive hours for NHS workers.

It has also been encouraging donations to the National Emergencies Trust, set up with the support of major charities, which is raising vital funds for the people most affected within our communities. By supporting local charities they will get help to the most vulnerable people, ensuring they are cared for and supported.

Iceland has been including a donate banner on its homepage and links via its social media channels to ensure it’s as easy as possible for customers to show their support for the National Emergencies Trust during the current Covid-19 crisis.

Separately, the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has already donated £150,000 to Age UK’s Emergency Coronavirus Appeal during the current health crisis as older people find themselves some of the worst hit within our communities.

The charity is seeking £10 million in donations to ensure it can continue to deliver its vital services. The donations will help support Age UK’s national telephone friendship and advice line as well as front-line local Age UK support including food packages for older people.

Some of its individual staff have also been doing their bit. One young Iceland worker took matters into her own hands and used her week’s wages to buy boxes of chocolates for paramedics and other frontline NHS workers in her local area.

Aleece, 17, from Ebbw Vale, picked up some additional shifts in her local Iceland. After taking home a bigger pay packet than usual, she chose to spend her normal wage on chocolates for local NHS workers to thank them for their service.

The frontline staff were invited to the store to collect the generous gift from Aleece and enjoy a much-needed sweet treat during these trying times.

Aleece said: “We have a lot of family members who work for the NHS and I’ve been overwhelmed by seeing the pressure they are under right now. I really wanted to give something back as a way to say thanks and everyone loves chocolate!

You don’t need to spend money, words can go a long way, but I think we can all do our bit to say thanks for everything they are doing right now.”

For more information about Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and the action the retailer is taking to support elderly and vulnerable people during the Covid-19 outbreak, please visit Iceland.co.uk

To find out more about Age UK’s £10 million emergency Coronavirus Appeal, please visit: https://donate.ageuk.org.uk/public/donate.aspx?content=coronavirus

To donate to the National Emergencies Trust, please visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/IcelandCoronavirusAppeal