Tesco says it has strengthened its position as the UK grocery sector’s leading supporter of the Armed Forces community by re-signing the Armed Forces Covenant at RAF High Wycombe and unveiling a new three-year partnership with military charity Help for Heroes.

The renewed pledge was witnessed by representatives from the Tesco Armed Forces Network, senior Armed Forces personnel and Help for Heroes, underscoring the retailer’s long-standing commitment to serving personnel, veterans, reservists and their families.

Tesco became the first retailer to sign the Covenant in 2014 and remains the UK’s largest private-sector employer of veterans.

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Ashwin Prasad, Tesco UK CEO, said the re-signing reflects the values established by the company’s founder, Jack Cohen.

“Tesco has a long association with the Armed Forces dating back to our founder Jack Cohen, and we are very proud to be the leading private sector employer of veterans in the UK which we support through our thriving Armed Forces Network.”

The renewed agreement commits Tesco to continue supporting veterans with employment opportunities, helping spouses and partners of serving personnel find roles, promoting the Reserve Forces, and ensuring colleagues impacted by partners’ military service are not disadvantaged.

Air Marshal Paul Lloyd, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, welcomed Tesco’s renewed commitment.

“The Armed Forces Covenant is crucial to ensuring that our military personnel and their families receive the support they need. It is a privilege to witness Tesco reconfirming their commitment and increasing their support even further.”

Central to this expanded support is Tesco’s newly announced partnership with Help for Heroes, which will work alongside the retailer’s Armed Forces Network for the next three years. The collaboration will deliver initiatives aimed at bringing Armed Forces communities together and increasing public engagement in key fundraising events.

James Needham, CEO of Help for Heroes, said: “Tesco’s commitment to veterans, reservists, and their families is clear, and the renewal of their Armed Forces Covenant reinforces that. Through this partnership, we’ll deliver initiatives that bring Armed Forces communities together and encourage wider public involvement.”

As part of the agreement, Tesco will sponsor Help for Heroes’ flagship Big Battlefield Bike Ride, the Heroes Hike and further in-store and customer engagement activities planned for later in the year.