100,000 meals are donated

Generosity of Lanarkshire is revealed

Shoppers in Lanarkshire donated almost 100,000 meals to foodbank charity The Trussell Trust and food redistribution charity Fareshare over Christmas.

Figures show people in South Lanarkshire handed over 76,056 meals while those in North Lanarkshire donated 19,107.

The charities teamed up with Tesco, asking people to leave the food parcels at stores across the county.

David Mcauley, chief executive of The Trussell Trust, said: “Every year Trussell Trust foodbanks see a significant seasonal spike in the volume of people needing emergency food during the lead up to Christmas.

“Last December we saw a 45 per cent increase in the number of parcels provided compared to the average for the rest of the year.”

The donations come at a vital time when The Trussell Trust and Fareshare see an increase for their support.

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of Fareshare, added: “What we’re seeing, right across the country, is an increased demand from the organisations we work with for more food. They have more mouths to feed.

“There has been a 26 per cent increase in the number of charities signing up to Fareshare in the last year, so without the neighbourhood food collection we simply couldn’t meet the growing demand.”

Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a minimum of three days’ emergency food supplies to people that have been identified as being in crisis by frontline agencies such as Citizen’s Advice, children’s centres or housing associations.

Fareshare tackle food waste and food poverty by redistributing in date, good food from the food and drink industry, that would otherwise go to waste, to frontline charities and community groups that support vulnerable people, including homeless shelters, children’s breakfast clubs, and domestic violence refuges.

The Hamilton District Foodbank are part of The Trussell Trust.

The foodbank is open at 22 Townhead Street, Hamilton, on a Tuesday and Thursday from 10am till 2pm and Saturday from noon till 2pm.

The Nazarene Hall, Elm Court, Blantyre, also hosts the foodbank on a Tuesday from 11 am till 2pm.

And the foodbank are also at The Salvation Army, Burnblea Street, Hamilton, on Mondays from 11am to 2pm.

See hamiltondistrict.foodbank.org. uk for more details.

Increased demand from organisations we work with for more food