Tesco is working with the Trussell Trust to provide around 730,000 additional meals to food banks across the country which are experiencing extremely high levels of demand.
Over the past year (April 2022 – March 2023), the Trussell Trust network has distributed almost three million emergency food parcels, with its food banks struggling to keep up in the face of a 37% increase in demand nationwide.
Tesco has stepped in with an emergency support scheme which ensures the food banks can continue to provide the additional support to people in their area. The supermarket is sending hundreds of thousands of items of food to help meet the soaring levels of need currently experienced by UK food banks.
While the retailer’s in-store food donation scheme the Community Food Connection runs all year round, this extra effort has been led by Tesco’s distribution centres.
“When the Trussell Trust told us it had food banks struggling to meet demand we wanted to find a way we could help them quickly and easily,” said Tesco UK distribution and fulfilment director, Andrew Woolfenden.
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Using Tesco’s distribution network means that food banks are able to order and receive weekly deliveries of vital items for food parcels at no cost to them, allowing them to offer additional help throughout the local community.
“We have a great partnership with the Trussell Trust through our stores and this was a chance for our distribution colleagues to be involved in helping communities. They are brilliant at planning the logistics to make these donations easy for food banks so they could receive exactly what they needed most free of charge,” added Woolfenden
Trussell Trust CEO Emma Revie said Tesco’s generosity has been a “much-needed lifeline” for the food banks which benefited from the initiative.
“Not only have the donations ensured that there is enough stock to provide parcels to everyone who needs it, Tesco’s logistical support has given food banks a chance to catch their breaths after the toughest winter yet.
“We are extremely grateful to Tesco for once again responding to the needs of our network and helping us to provide urgent support to people in communities across the UK, while we work towards our long-term goal of ending the need for food banks.”
The scheme will run for six months as an emergency provision for the food banks.
