Isle of Wight Tesco shoppers have donated the most ever in support of foodbanks and local charities, it has been revealed.
Tesco customers donated more than 2.4million meals during the winter Food Collection at the beginning of December, with 3,253 of those meals coming from shoppers on the Isle of Wight.
The total amount of food donated by Tesco shoppers to the Trussell Trust and FareShare during 2022 was equivalent of 12.5million meals – 27,056 of which came from the Isle of Wight.
The donations to the Trussell Trust help food banks to provide emergency food parcels to people in crisis, while donations to FareShare support frontline community charities. Tesco has also topped up all customer donations during the collection by 20% in cash, to support the 2 charities with their operating costs and ensure the food can get to where it is most needed.
Lindsay Boswell CBE, Chief Executive at FareShare, said:
“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.”
Emma Revie, Chief Executive at the Trussell Trust, said:
“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 on the Isle of Wight will enable local food banks to provide immediate help to people in the community, while the Trussell Trust works in the long term to build a future without the need for food banks.”
With both charities continuing to need support, Tesco shoppers can continue to make donations at permanent collection points at every Tesco store in the UK.
