Llanelli Star

Shoppers praised for their food donations

- IAN LEWIS Reporter ian.lewis@walesonlin­e.co.uk

GENEROUS Tesco shoppers in South Wales have been thanked after donating more than 65,000 meals’ worth of food to help charities feed people over Christmas and the winter months.

The total forms part of nearly 90,000 meals’ worth of food donated across Wales, and 1.5million meals’ worth donated across the UK.

In Llanelli, the store’s customers donated 4,370 meals’ worth of food.

The 65,874 donations from Tesco’s South Wales stores will help foodbanks in the Trussell Trust’s network provide emergency parcels and help

FareShare supply thousands of frontline charities.

During the twice-yearly Tesco Food Collection, which ran in all of its UK stores from November 18 to 20, customers were asked to donate long-life food. Stores reported that customers had given the highest volume of food donations to support local charities since the start of the pandemic, providing 1.57m meals during the campaign.

Sarah Germain, chief executive at FareShare Cymru, said shoppers’ donations would make a huge difference to the frontline charities they supplied.

“The Food Collection is so important to FareShare Cymru because donations of long-life items means we are able to complement the fresh food that we receive year round from Tesco with staples like rice, tinned vegetables and tea and coffee,” she said.

“Thank you to every single Tesco customer that donated to the food collection this year; your generous donations will help us to continue supporting local charities and community groups that are helping to feed people in need this winter.”

Cleide Correia, project manager at the Merthyr Cynon Foodbank, said the donations helped provide food to people facing impossible decisions at Christmas.

She added: “This emergency lifeline is only possible due to the incredible compassion and generosity of Tesco customers.”

“Right now, people are making impossible decisions between staying warm or buying food as food banks in our network face providing 7,000 emergency food parcels to people in crisis every day this month.

“It’s not right that any of us are forced to a charity for the essentials, but we continue to be truly humbled by how much people are willing to give and so we thank you for your continued support.”

Claire de Silva, head of community at Tesco said: “At this time more than ever, we are hugely grateful for the support of all our customers in South Wales who have donated in store.

“We know this will make a really significan­t difference this winter.”

 ?? MATTHEW HORWOOD ?? Tesco shoppers in South Wales have been thanked after donating over 65,000 meals’ worth of food to help charities feed people over Christmas and the winter.
MATTHEW HORWOOD Tesco shoppers in South Wales have been thanked after donating over 65,000 meals’ worth of food to help charities feed people over Christmas and the winter.

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