A 'SOCIAL supermarket' to help families in Dudley living on the breadline during lockdown has received a £3,000 cash boost from the famous Richardson family.

The supermarket, run by Dudley charity Loaves and Fishes and the Friends of Grange Park, sees £3 food vouchers distributed to families which can be exchanged for one shopping delivery of essential items a week.

The scheme usually runs during the school holidays with the help of local cafes to supply meals to children, but with schools and cafes closed during the lockdown, demand for the scheme rocketed.

The Richardson Brothers Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the family business, made the donation after hearing about the scheme.

The business was founded by Roy Richardson and his late twin brother Don, who are known for their role in the development of Merry Hill in the 1980s.

Explaining the need for the project in her ward, St James' councillor Cathryn Bayton, said: "Through talking to headteachers we identified nearly 200 children who needed our support to have a hot meal during school holidays and we had a great network of local cafes supporting the project.

"However, because of the Coronavirus lockdown now all the cafes are closed, and schools are suspended apart from for children of key workers. We were really concerned about the families we would have supported so we teamed up with Loaves and Fishes.

“Now we are distributing £3 food vouchers which can be exchanged for one shopping delivery a week, made up of 20 essential items to keep some of our poorest families going.

"This includes fresh fruit and veg, milk, bread, meat and canned goods, as well as culturally appropriate food. The donation from the Richardson family is an amazing gesture and will literally save some of our most vulnerable residents from going hungry. We are hugely grateful.”

Martyn Richardson, from the Richardson Brothers Foundation, said: “We know that these are really tough times for so many people and when Councillor Bayton got in touch we were happy to make a contribution. The family business was established in the Black Country and the people here hold a special place in our hearts.

“We recognise there is still a need to make sure that there is regular supply of food stuffs so the charity can continue its vital work and we hope that our donation will go some way to helping that happen.”