Tesco has urged customers to donate millions of meals to make a “huge difference” for people facing hunger in its 12th annual Tesco Winter Food Collection.
Last year Tesco customers donated more than two million meals worth of food in the Winter Food Collection to Trussell Trust and FareShare.
Both charities said they expected to see extremely high demand for their services this winter, and Tesco said the collection would provide vital extra donations.
Last week research from the Trussell Trust found almost a quarter of children under four are now facing hunger and hardship – making them the age group most at risk – while a record 9.3 million people in the UK are now facing hunger and hardship.
More than 277,000 people visited a food bank in the Trussell Trust community for the first time between April and September.
Meanwhile, FareShare’s annual impact report showed the 8,000 charity partners and community groups it supports had seen an 86% increase in people accessing their services, and more than two in three of their partner charities were seeing more people accessing their support for the first time.
In the Tesco collection customers can donate items they buy, with a list of the most required products – such as UHT and powdered milk, and tinned meat and fish – provided in store and online.
Tesco said it was also making its pre-packed customer donation bags available in more stores in an effort to top the amount of meals donated last year.
The bags, which typically cost between £2 and £3, are pre-filled with healthy and nutritious long-life items and can be picked up in store and paid for at the checkout.
The donated food is passed to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, which will distribute it to charities and food banks to help families who need it most.
The Tesco Winter Food Collection runs in its Express stores from 25 to 30 November and in large stores from 28 to 30 November.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said: “Our partners tell us they’ve seen even more families needing their help and they expect demand to increase this winter, so we’re encouraging customers to donate whatever they can to our Winter Food Collection. With frontline charities and food banks facing exceptionally high demand this year, pre-packed donation bags make it easy to make a big difference.”
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