The UK has been in the midst of a cost of living crisis, but that hasn't stopped Tesco customers in the North East from playing their part in a record breaking year of giving to food banks and charities.
The Tesco Food Collection initiative had collected 2.4 million meals from customers by December, and 27,830 of those were from shoppers in the North East.
The total amount of food donated to Tesco, and through their partners Trussell Trust and FareShare was the equivalent of 12.5 million meals. Both of these organisations support local charities in communities around the country.
Tesco has also added 20% to all customer donations, to support the charities with their costs and to make sure that they can get food to go where it's needed most.
Tesco UK and Ireland CEO Jason Tarry has spoken about the incredible generosity of customers and the work done by the supermarket to make it easier to donate.
"Our customers have always amazed us with their generosity, this year more than ever. We know that household budgets are very stretched, but our customers have been incredible. We had people donating whole trollies of food at our recent Tesco Food Collection, and it is genuinely heart-warming to see so much kindness. The fact that we now have collection points in every store has made it easier than ever for customers to donate, and those donations are really needed", he said.
Customers have also been able to donate to charity by rounding up their bills at the till, through a link on Tesco's website, and through Clubcard vouchers, the total of which has been matched by Tesco themselves.
Tesco also donated its unsold food to FareShare, and the chief executive of FareShare North East, Jake Hanmore, has expressed his gratitude to the supermarket.
"We want to say an enormous thank you to Tesco, and every single person that volunteered and donated across the year and at the Winter Food Collection- we had more than 2,000 amazing volunteers join us in stores this year.
"Our charities have told us how difficult things have become as a result of the cost of living crisis, with many expecting to see a huge increase in need as the weather gets even colder. The support we have seen from people at the collections and throughout 2022, in both time and donations, will help FareShare to continue getting much needed food to the people that need it most this winter", he said.
Customers can continue to donate at collection points in every Tesco UK store as both charities remain in need of support.
Chief executive at the Trussell Trust, Emma Revie, said: "Foodbanks across the UK are facing their hardest winter yet as they struggle to cope with a tsunami of need caused by the cost-of-living emergency. On a daily basis food banks in our network are hearing from families up and down the country who are having to make impossible decisions between putting food on the table or turning on the heating – and too many people are being left with no option but to use a food bank because their money simply won’t stretch."
"Thanks to the incredible generosity of Tesco customers, food banks across the Trussell Trust network can continue to provide emergency food and support to people facing hardship. Each and every donation made in the North East will enable FareShare North East to provide immediate help to people in the local community, while the Trussell Trust works in the long term to build a future without the need for food banks."
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