Asda has said it will donate up to £400,000 to help communities affected by the recent flooding.
The money will come from the charity arm of the UK’s second largest retailer, the Asda Foundation, and will top up donations from local communities.
The company said it will be holding collections at stores around the country so shoppers can also contribute to the relief effort, as well as donating the money.
Parent company Walmart has also pledged around £150,000 to help the cause.
A store in Taunton has already raised £2,300 to go towards straw and feed for cattle, while £1,000 has been donated in Bridgewater to provide food parcels for families in evacuation centres.
Asda staff have been out into communities to deliver food, sandbags and clothes for those who have been affected by floods, as well as help move cattle to safety.
Chief executive Andy Clarke said stores will be working directly with local communities to identify who needs support.
“It’s hugely important to everyone at Asda that we are able to give something back to the communities when they need it the most,” he said.
Paul Kelly, corporate affairs director and chair of the Asda Foundation said: “Giving back to our communities, especially in a time of need, is part of our culture at Asda. A crisis only reinforces that commitment, and we want to do whatever we can to help these local communities and residents recover from these terrible events.”
Fourteen flood warnings are in place for Berkshire and Surrey, as well as two for Somerset.
The crisis has sparked a bitter argument over the dredging of rivers as a flood control measure.
Environment campaigners have said that dredging could lead to more dangerous floods in the future, while the NFU maintained that dredging is the only way to manage low-lying land in flood risk areas.
The bad weather continues with high winds and over 30mm of rain expected over Tuesday night for some parts of south Wales and southwest England. BBC weather reported that: “With on-going flooding in some places, any further rain will only add to the problems. Very gusty winds may be an added hazard in places.”
The prime minister is expected to chair another Cobra meeting at Westminster this evening, the BBC reported.
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