Grocery charity Caravan received a record £2.24m during the last financial year enabling it to support support 1,849 people from the food and drink industry who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own.

Caravan director general Gillian Barker said there had been a huge growth in the number of companies running fundraising events on behalf of the charity resulting in a 27% increase in donations.

“We have seen a fantastic growth in the number of people the charity has helped this year, a reflection of the genuine support and generosity of our co-workers across the grocery industry,” said Barker. 

“Not only has the total number of people we help increased, but also the scope, with the youngest beneficiary being 28 years old and the oldest 100.”