More than 4000 festive meals donated

Tesco customers in Stirlingshire have provided thousands of meals to people in need this Christmas.

Generous customers were asked to donate long-life items as part of their usual shop and handed over more than 4,000 meals from November 29 to December 1 .

This year’s total was an increase on the previous year’s collection, with the nationwide total reaching 3.5 million meals. Proceeds from the collection were donated to food charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust.

The Trussell Trust will provide the donations as food parcels at their foodbanks, whereas FareShare will donate theirs to charities and community groups who provide meals to vulnerable people such as the elderly and homeless.

Once again, Tesco has pledged to top up customers’donations, giving an extra 20 per cent to both charities to help fund the foodbanks and distribute the meals to those in need.

Fareshare chief executive Lindsay Boswell said:“The food donated at the Tesco Food Collection will make a tremendous difference to the thousands of charities and community groups that FareShare supports. These groups are doing amazing work with some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

“Thanks to the generosity of Tesco shoppers over the festive season, we have enough long-life food to provide meals to those helping people in need across the UK.

He added:“We’d like to thank everyone who donated, as well as all the volunteers who made the store collections such a success.”