Kind shoppers donate nearly 2000 meals

Generous shoppers at the Tesco branches in Airdrie and Coatbridge donated the equivalent of nearly 2000 meals during the supermarket’s annual food collection last month.

Customers at the stores in Airdrie and Faraday retail parks contributed items amounting to 1951 meals during the three-day event, to be distributed to Trussell Trust and Fareshare foodbanks.

Their tins, packets and boxes of food contributed to a Uk-wide total of 800,000 meals donated during November – with the total rising to 1.3 million when added to the extra summer collection which took place this year as charities saw surging demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Figures from the Trussell Trust say its foodbanks – including Airdrie –“are expected to provide a food parcel every nine seconds this winter,”while Fareshare is now supplying“more than double the food it did before the pandemic” to 11,000 charities and community groups.

Airdrie foodbank volunteers told the Advertiser in May how they had seen demand for their support increase by nearly 50 per cent in the first four weeks of the initial coronavirus lockdown.

Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said:“it’s not right that any of us are forced to a charity for food, but thanks to the incredible compassion and generosity of Tesco customers, our network is able to continue to provide the lifeline of emergency support for local people in crisis.

“Communities have stepped in to provide vital support this year, and we’ve been humbled to see how much people are willing to give to foodbanks as they face their busiest winter ever.”

Jim Burns of Fareshare partner Move On added that they have seen demand“skyrocket”, adding:“ninety per cent of the organisations we work with expect demand to remain the same as at peak crisis levels, or even increase through the winter.

“We’re immensely grateful to every single person who donated during this year’s Tesco food collection.”

Tesco topped up customers’donations to the collection by 20 per cent, and has provided more than £60m in support to help both charities during the pandemic via surplus meal donations and a £15m food donation during the initial lockdown.

Claire De Silva, the supermarket’s head of community, said: “Once again we’ve been amazed by the generosity of our customers, and we’re immensely proud of the vital support they and our colleagues have been able to give to the two charities.”