Chelsea have announced they will be donating 78,000 meals to NHS staff and charities helping the elderly and vulnerable.

The meals will be distributed over a six-week period, with the club targeting 13,000 per week during the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes after the club revealed earlier this month that they will match all proceeds donated to Refuge over the next six weeks - a charity helping victims of domestic abuse.

Speaking about the free meals initiative, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: "We are and have always been committed to supporting our communities, especially the vulnerable, and at this time we recognise this is more important than ever.

"Our owner, Roman Abramovich, has been instrumental in challenging us to find ways to support those in need and after we successfully launched the Refuge campaign and made the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge available to the NHS, this was the priority so I am pleased to see it begin."

Medical director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Julian Redhead, added: "All our staff are working incredibly hard to support our patients and their loved ones during this very challenging time and it’s so important that staff can access healthy, nutritious food.

"We’re hugely grateful for this generous new initiative from Chelsea Football Club, which helps us to support the health and wellbeing of our incredible people."