North Devon shoppers support winter food collection

Shoppers in North Devon have shown their generosity by donating 4,462 meals’ worth of long-life food items at Tesco’s Winter Food Collection, held from November 25 to 30.

Collections took place at stores in Barnstaple, Braunton, and Ilfracombe.

The donations will benefit local charities FareShare and Trussell, which work to provide food to those in need. 

Trussell uses the collected items to distribute emergency food parcels to individuals and families facing economic hardship, while FareShare supports frontline organisations that provide meals to vulnerable groups.

This winter, with increased living costs adding pressure to local communities, both charities are seeing a rise in demand for their services. 

To meet this increased need, Tesco provided an extra £500,000 in funding to FareShare and Trussell.

In addition to the food donations, customers raised more than £340,000 by rounding up their bills at the till or making online donations. 

Tesco’s Community Food Connection programme has also contributed significantly, with unsold food donated to FareShare throughout the year. 

Overall, Tesco and its customers have given the equivalent of more than 39 million meals to the charities in 2024.

Kristopher Gibbon-Walsh, CEO at FareShare, said: “Every year, we are blown away by the

generosity of Tesco customers at the Winter Food Collection, and this year is no exception.

“Thank you to every single person that volunteered in store, donated an item of food, topped up their shopping bill, or made a donation to FareShare.

“Your kind support will ensure we can continue getting food out into the community, bringing

people together and strengthening communities this winter.” 

Emma Revie, CEO of Trussell, added: “We are so grateful to Tesco for supporting food banks to get through this season by organising this year’s Winter Food Collection. Thank you to Tesco customers for coming out in support of your local food bank, to ensure they can continue helping everyone in your local community who is facing hunger and hardship this winter.

“Thanks to your efforts, we have collected 1.8 million meals to support people who need a food bank this winter. Thank you for your generosity – together we can end hunger for good.

“Food banks in the Trussell community are a last resort for people who’ve been left facing hunger and hardship. They’re a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard. But with so many people unable to afford the essentials right now, food banks continue to provide exceptionally high levels of emergency food, with many telling us they are at breaking point. Just over 1.4 million emergency food parcels were provided across the UK by food banks in our community, between April and September this year.”

Donations can still be made at permanent collection points in Tesco stores or online at FareShare’s donation page until February 2025.