Food charity appeals for help

A food charity is appealing for extra volunteers to help local people get through Christmas.

FareShare Tayside and Fife, which is based in Dundee, needs volunteers to help pick up donations for local charities as part of the Tesco Food Collection, running until Saturday.

The charity redistributes good quality surplus food to more than 220 charities, including holiday hunger schemes, homeless hostels, refuges, family centres and hospices.

During the cold winter months charities often struggle to keep up with the increased demand on their services, so volunteers are needed to encourage shoppers to donate store cupboard staples such as pasta, rice, tinned fish and tea.

FareShare will then redistribute these – along with the surplus meat, dairy, fruit and veg that it receives from the food industry – to local charities and community groups.

In partnership with FareShare and food bank charity the Trussell Trust, the Tesco Food Collection is the UK’s biggest food drive.

FareShare manager Chris Doig said: “We’re calling on people from right across Tayside and Fife to give just three hours to help us fight hunger – just a morning or afternoon – but in that short time, just 180 minutes, you can collect enough donations to make up 600 meals for locals who really need your help.”