Tesco food collection scheme with its shoppers

SUPERMARKET shoppers in Portsmouth could make a big difference to food banks this summer.

Tesco stores including Fratton, Northabour and Crasswell Street in the city centre, are taking part in a food collection scheme, run on behalf of the Trussell Trust and FareShare, which supply food banks and frontline charities respectively.

The supermarket chain has also pledged to top up all food donations made during the collection with an extra 20 per cent cash donation.

Tesco’s head of community, Claire de Silva, said: ‘This collection marks 10 years of us working with the Trussell Trust and FareShare.

‘During that decade our customers have been amazingly generous, donating more than 100 million meals during our food collections and at permanent collection points in Tesco stores, but we wanted to make it even easier for customers in Portsmouth to donate this summer as we know that every can donated really does help.’

Donations are more important than ever because the charities have reported increasing need for food.

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive at FareShare, added: ‘Our charities are telling us that the need for food has vastly increased as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, and over the last year we’ve continued to deliver four meals every second to people facing food insecurity across the UK.

‘That’s why we would be immensely grateful to anyone who is able to donate a bag of pasta or tin of vegetables over the Tesco Food Collection weekend – your generous donations will help us continue providing vital support to families struggling to cope this summer.’