Shoppers in Lichfield have been thanked for supporting a supermarket chain’s food bank donation drive.
Tesco said customers across the UK had helped donate the equivalent of 2.4million meals during a special collection event earlier this month.
The company’s Lichfield stores saw volunteers join efforts to collect food as outlets in Staffordshire helped to provide more than 182,500 meals.
The donations will go to local food banks in the Trussell Trust network and the FareShare scheme – with Tesco also topping up donations by 20% in cash.
CEO Jason Tarry said:
“Our customers have always amazed us with their generosity – this year more than ever.
“We know that household budgets are very stretched, but our customers have been incredible. We had people donating whole trollies of food at our recent Tesco Food Collection, and it is genuinely heart-warming to see so much kindness.
“The fact that we now have collection points in every store has made it easier than ever for customers to donate, and those donations are really needed.”
Jason Tarry, Tesco
In addition to the donations of food, the pre-Christmas Tesco Food Collection saw customers donate more than £382,000 to the charities by rounding up their bills at the till, donate £133,000 through a link from Tesco’s online groceries website, and give more than £19,000 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers, which Tesco has matched.
Emma Revie, chief Executive at the Trussell Trust, said:
“Food banks across the UK are facing their hardest winter yet as they struggle to cope with a tsunami of need caused by the cost of living emergency.
“On a daily basis food banks in our network are hearing from families up and down the country who are having to make impossible decisions between putting food on the table or turning on the heating – and too many people are being left with no option but to use a food bank because their money simply won’t stretch.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Tesco customers, food banks across the Trussell Trust network can continue to provide emergency food and support to people facing hardship.
“Each and every donation made in Staffordshire stores will enable local foodbanks to provide immediate help to people in the local community, while the Trussell Trust works in the long term to build a future without the need for food banks.”
Emma Revie, Trussell Trust