Aldi helps families atEaster

Renfrewshire charities have received a boost thanks to supermarket giant Aldi.

The store chain has backed local organisations, helping them provide 1,956 meals to people in need over the Easter holidays.

Bosses at the German store chain paired up with charities, community groups and foodbanks to donate surplus food in a bid to make use of unsold fresh and chilled foods during the holiday period.

Some 105 tonnes of food were donated throughout the UK, with more than 187,000 meals going to causes which support families and children.

The donations followed research from Aldi and community-giving platform Neighbourly which found that 98 per cent of food banks in Scotland have seen demand soar since the start of the year as the nation faces a crippling cost of living crisis.

Research carried out by Neighbourly, who polled more than 700 foodbanks and community causes nationwide, found that an estimated 30 per cent of people using Scottish food banks in recent months are new referrals.

Liz Fox, corporate responsibility director at Aldi UK, said: “The school holidays can be a busy time for the local charities and organisations we support, but, especially in the current climate, food banks are experiencing even greater demand than usual.

“We’re proud to support so many good causes in Renfrewshire, helping them to provide meals to those in need over the recent school holidays.”

On average, food banks reported a rise in demand of around 28 per cent for their services so far this year, with expectations of further increases of around 29 per cent anticipated in the next three months as higher energy bills and an increase in national insurance contributions add to the pressure.

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: “The findings of our latest survey highlight that the costof-living crisis is clearly deepening, with families and households up and down the country really starting to feel the pinch and turning to charities and local causes for support as a result.

“During what is a hard time for everyone, anything people can do to give back in the coming weeks will make all the difference.”

Aldi has donation points in Renfrew and Paisley - to help those in need.