GENEROUS Tesco shoppers have been thanked after donating more than 2,000 meals-worth of food to help charities feed people during Christmas and the winter months.

During the twice-yearly Tesco Food Collection, which ran in all Tesco stores in the UK from November 18 to 20 customers were asked to donate long-life food to support FareShare and the Trussell Trust.

Stores across the UK reported that customers had given the highest volume of food donations to support local charities since the start of the pandemic, providing 1.57m meals during the campaign, with shoppers in Barrow donating 2,026 meals.

The donations will help foodbanks in the Trussell Trust’s network provide emergency parcels and help FareShare supply thousands of frontline charities. Tesco has once again topped up all customer donations with a 20 per cent cash donation to the two charities, to support them in their work feeding people in communities across the UK.

Jeff Green. General Manager at FareShare Lancashire and Cumbria, said shoppers’ donations would make a huge difference to the frontline charities they supplied.

He said: “The Food Collection is so important to FareShare because donations of long-life items means we are able to compliment the fresh food that we receive year round from Tesco with staples like rice, tinned vegetables and tea and coffee.

“Thank you to every single Tesco customer that donated to the food collection this year – your generous donations will help us to continue supporting local charities and community groups that are helping to feed people in need this winter.

Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust, said the donations would help provide food to people facing impossible decisions this Christmas.

She said: “Throughout 2021, communities across the UK have stepped in to provide vital support to people at food banks, left without enough money for the essentials.

“This emergency lifeline is only possible due to the incredible compassion and generosity of Tesco customers, including those in Barrow, during the Tesco Food Collection.

“Right now, people near you are making impossible decisions between staying warm or buying food as food banks in our network face providing 7,000 emergency food parcels to people in crisis every day this month."