Thousands donated to food banks

Food banks across the south are to receive donations totalling £30,000 thanks to Southern Co-op members scanning their cards as they shopped in December.

Membership cards were scanned on nearly 300,000 separate occasions which the independent cooperative is converting to £500 per food bank.

Gemma Lacey, Southern Co-op’s director of sustainability and communications, said: “We’d hoped that this campaign would bring together our members and engage them in a concerted effort to target food poverty and make a difference to so many local food banks.

“Not only does this demonstrate that there is power in co-operatives and our members, but it also shows that our members care about their local communities and small gestures go a long way.”

Through financial donations, goods donations, volunteering and drop off points in 97 retail stores, Southern Co-op currently support 60 local community food banks, these include Burgess Hill Community Food Bank, and Haywards Heath Trussell Trust.

Between April 2020 and March 2021, food banks in the Trussell Trust gave out 2.5million emergency food parcels across the UK.