Retailer Aldi UK is partnering with Neighbourly – which connects businesses with thousands of charities, food banks and community groups across the UK and Ireland – to donate surplus food during the festive season.

The discounter is inviting charities, local community groups and food banks across the UK to sign up to receive donations of surplus food from stores over the Christmas period.

Luke Emery, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: “The services our amazing charity partners provide are more in demand than ever during the festive period. That’s why we’re committed to offering as much support as we can to the communities we serve this Christmas.”

Steve Butterworth, chief executive officer at Neighbourly, added: “Christmas can be a tough time for many families, and local charities are often a vital lifeline. We know there are still groups out there who could really use the extra help from businesses like Aldi, so we’d love them to get in touch.”

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Aldi stores are set to close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, which allows more charities to benefit from the additional donations during the holiday season.

The selected charities will be able to collect fresh and frozen food products that are near expiry, and the discounter expects to donate around one million meals over the festive season.

Last week the discount retailer also launched colleague shops to cut down on surplus food waste.