NI Tesco customers thanked for generous Winter Food Collection support as 78K meals donated

An incredible 1.9 million meals’ worth of long-life food items were donated at the collection between November 25 and November 30 in all the retailer’s large and Express stores across the UK.

In Northern Ireland, the collection saw customers donate 78,331 meals to make a difference in their local community.

Every item donated provides much-needed support for charities FareShare and Trussell in the run up to Christmas.

Donations to Trussell help food banks to provide emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford the essentials, while donations to FareShare support thousands of frontline local charities in communities across the country.

This winter will see heightened levels of need for both charities’ services. With this in mind, Tesco provided an extra £500,000 of funding to FareShare and Trussell to meet this acute need.

Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said: “I just want to say a huge thank you to every single person who donated items at this year’s Winter Food Collection. Their generosity is always so amazing and really helps to make a huge impact in communities across the UK supported by Trussell and FareShare.”

Throughout the year Tesco donates unsold food to FareShare as part of its Community Food Connection scheme.

In addition to the donations of food, more than £340,000 was donated to the charities by customers rounding up their bills at the till and donating through a link from Tesco’s online groceries website.

Kristopher Gibbon-Walsh, CEO at FareShare, said: “Every year we are blown away by the generosity of Tesco customers at the Winter Food Collection, and this year is no exception. Thank you to every single person that volunteered in store, donated an item of food, topped up their shopping bill, or made a donation to FareShare. Your kind support will ensure we can continue getting food out into the community, bringing people together and strengthening communities this winter.”

Emma Revie, CEO of Trussell, said: “We are so grateful to Tesco for supporting food banks to get through this season by organising this year’s Winter Food Collection.

“Thank you to Tesco customers for coming out in support of your local food bank, to ensure they can continue helping everyone in your local community who is facing hunger and hardship this winter. Thanks to your efforts, we have collected 1.8 million meals to support people who need a food bank this winter. Thank you for your generosity – together we can end hunger for good.

“Food banks in the Trussell community are a last resort for people who’ve been left facing hunger and hardship. They’re a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard.”

With both charities continuing to need support, Tesco shoppers can continue to donate food at permanent collection points at every Tesco store in the UK or make a donation after their online shop. You can also donate at https://fareshare.donr.com/tesco