Manchester United are preparing and dispatching 60,000 meals for NHS staff across their city with the initial batch set to be distributed on Friday.

The club have collaborated with their catering supplier Bidfood to deliver meals free of charge to four sites across Manchester as they aim to do what they can to help during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Staff at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, who would normally have to provide their own meals while on-duty, will benefit from the service.

The food has been prepared by 80 permanent and casual club staff who have been in the kitchens at Old Trafford making the meals which will be delivered over the coming weeks. The club are covering staff and facility costs while Bidfood is providing temperature-controlled deliveries across the city free of charge.

The move is the latest in a long line of gestures the club have made during the pandemic having previously sent equipment to hospitals and encouraged staff to sign up for the NHS volunteer programme.

Collette Roche, chief operating officer at Manchester United said: “It is an honour to provide this service as part of our support to the NHS. We are all indebted to them for what they are doing to protect and care for us all. Our talented chefs and catering team are extremely proud to be contributing to the national effort at this time.”

The initiative is collaboration with Mealforce, a coalition of organisations which have come together in a co-ordinated philanthropic effort to deliver more than 500,000 meals in the last four weeks to frontline NHS workers across the UK.

Dr Pete Turkington, chief officer and medical director at Salford Royal, said: “A huge thank you to Manchester United, Bidfood and Mealforce for this fantastic donation; your generosity is very much appreciated.

“We have been overwhelmed by the continued outpouring of support by the local community and businesses who have been so generous with their donations for our staff during these incredibly challenging times.”

On the pitch it is uncertain when United will play again, however the Premier League has put together a seven-page document detailing how the resumption of football in England could work in preparation for Friday’s meeting to discuss a potential June 8 return.