Business Reporter Staff and customers of Bradford-based Morrisons have ensured the supermarket group has achieved its best-ever charity fundraising programme.

Since partnering with Save The Children in 2011, the company has raised £5 million and is now the largest supporter of Save the Children’s work in the UK.

It has announced plans to extend and scale up the partnership to help needy children across the UK.

Money raised by Morrisons' 132,000 employees along with customers since 2011 is being used to fund the charity’s innovative Families and Schools Together (FAST) programme, bringing families, schools and communities together to build stronger bonds and make sure that children get the support they need to do well at school.

This year, Morrisons will also help Save the Children to reach disadvantaged children across the UK by funding the charity’s Eat Sleep Learn Play! initiative.

The programme provides crisis grants for families with young children who are struggling to afford the basics such as beds and cookers.

Rona Blackwood, UK programme strategy manager at Save the Children, said: “Morrisons’ support has enabled Save the Children to make a long-term impact on the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children, and this renewed commitment will now enable us to transform the scale of our Eat, Sleep, Learn Play! programme.”

Martyn Jones, Morrisons group corporate services director, said: “We’re extremely proud that our partnership with Save the Children has already given so many children across the UK the chance to fulfil their potential.

“Seeing the difference we’ve made by working together has inspired our colleagues and customers to help even more. That’s why we have extended our partnership – so that we can help make an even bigger difference to the lives of children that are most in need in the UK.”

One of Morrisons employees’ most successful initiatives was the support shown for Save the Children’s first-ever Christmas Jumper Day on December 14, which raised more than £100,000 .

In addition to supporting work in the UK, the partnership has also raised funds for Save the Children’s emergency appeals, including those for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the food crises in East and West Africa, and most recently the Syria Crisis Appeal.