Small donation bags pre-filled with items most needed by food banks are to go on sale in 300 Tesco stores across the UK this European summer to help food banks meet increased demand.
The donation bags, which customers can pick up as they enter the store, will contain the items most needed by food banks and charities, such as pasta, pulses and pasta sauce, and typically cost around £3.50.
The bags make it quick and easy for shoppers to give a helping hand to food banks and charities feeding people in their local communities this summer.
Last year, the total food donated by Tesco shoppers to the Trussell Trust and FareShare was the equivalent of 12.5 million meals.
The donation bags will be available in stores from Monday, July 24, until Sunday, September 3, alongside every Tesco store’s permanent collection point where customers can donate long-life food items all year round.
Over the summer, customers will also be able to round up their bill to the nearest pound at the checkout to make it even easier to offer financial support. This will be available from July 24 to August 6 and August 28 to September 3.
Tesco Head of Community Claire de Silva said the supermarket chain was proud of its partnerships with FareShare and the Trussell Trust.
“We want to continue to find ways to help them. With more people using food banks, we wanted to make donating as easy as possible for customers that want to support their local community. The donation bags will be available throughout the summer holidays, so it allows a real focus on families and children who need support,” said de Silva.
Donations are more important than ever as charities have reported an increasing demand for food.
Polly Hoffman, Head of Retail at FareShare, said the need for FareShare food has been rising rapidly as a result of the cost of living crisis and would continue to do so throughout the summer holidays when more families rely on these vital local services to feed themselves and their loved ones.
“At a time when millions of people are going hungry across the UK, the donations we receive from generous Tesco customers are vital for the charities and community groups we provide food to. That’s why we’re thrilled that Tesco is making it even easier for people to support FareShare by introducing donation bags in-store this summer,” said Hoffman.
Emma Revie, CEO at the Trussell Trust, added that it is incredibly grateful to Tesco for once again providing innovative new ways for their customers to support its network of more than 1,300 food bank centres.
Over the last year, food banks have faced record levels of need, and while donations have increased by 18 percent, our network distributed 37 percent more emergency food parcels than in 2021 and 2022.
“The generosity of Tesco and its customers plays a vital role in ensuring that food banks can continue to support people who cannot afford the essentials, as we continue working towards our vision of ending the need for food banks.”
