With food banks and charities facing continued high levels of need this winter, people are being urged to give the gift of their time to take part in the UK’s biggest food donation drive.
Now in its 14th year, the Tesco Winter Food Collection is taking place in all large Tesco stores from November 26th to November 28th. Tesco’s charity partners, Trussell and Felix, are calling for volunteers to sign-up to support the event in store as both charities aim to provide much needed long-life food and other items to families.
Donations for Trussell will help its community of food banks provide emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford the essentials, while donations to Felix (formerly FareShare and The Felix Project) will support its network of more than 8,000 local charities and community groups helping to feed people in local communities across the UK.
Volunteers will help out at collection points in Tesco stores to raise awareness of the impact every single donation will have on people across the UK, who rely on Trussell and Felix for food.
Donations are needed now more than ever, with one in five Trussell food parcels coming from Tesco and its customers and over 50% of charities in the Felix network reporting and increase in demand in the last year.
Christine Heffernan, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Tesco, said: “The Winter Food Collection is a key moment in the Tesco calendar as part of our commitment to supporting families across the UK get access to food when they need it most. Last year, our generous customers donated almost 1.5m meals worth of food to the collection and, by volunteering a few hours of your time, you can help us increase donations allowing Felix and Trussell to get food to even more people facing a tough winter.”
Matthew van Duyvenbode, co-chief executive officer at Trussell, said: “As temperatures drop and bills start to rise, more people will be forced to seek our food banks’ help. But with the support of Tesco, their customers and our incredible food collection volunteers, food banks can stay better stocked ready to support people facing hunger in their local communities.
“We urgently need you to play your part by getting involved in Tesco’s Food Collection, whether that’s through spreading the word, donating essential items or volunteering your time. Every small action makes an incredible difference – thank you so much.”
Charlotte Hill, CEO at Felix added: “Food from Felix reaches a network of over 8,000 charities and community organisations across the UK, helping them to provide food support alongside access to other vital services. At a time when demand for food support is growing and people are struggling with the cost of living, the Tesco Winter Food Collection is more important than ever.
“We know from experience that having volunteers present in store significantly increases the number of food items donated, and hope that more people than ever will generously give up their time this year. By volunteering just three hours, people can play an important part in our mission and help create lasting change in communities across the country.”
You can sign up to volunteer in your local Tesco store with Felix at https://felix.org/tescofoodcollection or with Trussell at https://www.trussell.org.uk/support-us/tesco-food-collection
