Sixth Neighbourhood Food Collection Launches Across UK

Tesco is urging people across the UK to donate generously during the sixth Neighbourhood Food Collection, which takes place in all larger Tesco stores from Thursday 2 July until Saturday 4 July, and in all Tesco Express stores from 22 June – 4 July.

The Neighbourhood Food Collection, run by Tesco with partner charities, The Trussell Trust and FareShare, is aiming to provide at least four million meals to people in need this summer as both charities see increased use by families, struggling to put food on the table over the holiday period.

More than a quarter of families rely on the help of grandparents or other extended family just to ensure that their children have sufficient food during the holidays.* More than 800,000 families across the UK also have to pay for childcare throughout the year with costs averaging out at £64 a week.

Josh Hardie, Corporate Social Responsibility Director at Tesco, said:

"It's inspiring that our customers are so generous and give so much to help people in food poverty. At Tesco we want to play our part too, which is why we continue to add an extra 30% to our customers' donations.

"This is now our sixth Neighbourhood Food Collection and we want to keep up the amazing momentum from previous collections. That's why it's so important that we dig deep and do what we can to help people who are in need this summer."

Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare, said:

"Sadly food poverty affects a large number of people across the UK. From homeless hostels to breakfast clubs, women's refuges to luncheon clubs for older people, these frontline organisations need food more than ever, so we're thrilled to partner with Tesco on the Neighbourhood Food Collection again this year.

"Our charity partners who cater for families and children have increased needs over the school holidays, placing resources under greater pressure as the need to continue to provide for our other charity members doesn't decrease. This campaign enables us all to help in a simple, practical way, as every item of food donated will make a difference to vulnerable people in our community."

The Neighbourhood Food Collection relies on, and is bolstered by, volunteers. In November 2014, approximately 20,000 volunteers across the UK were involved in the collection.

FareShare, the UK food redistribution charity, aims to tackle food waste and redistributes good food, which would otherwise be wasted, to frontline charities and community groups. This food is then transformed into nutritious meals for vulnerable people. The organisations they support range from breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children, homeless hostels, luncheon clubs for older people and domestic violence refuges, which provide not only food but also life changing support.

Trussell Trust foodbanks provide three days' emergency food to people in crisis who have been referred by a front-line professional or agency like the Citizens' Advice Bureau. 37% of clients are children and in July to September 2014, over 20,000 more people were referred to a foodbank than in the previous three months. During this period, over 96,000 children in total were provided with three days' emergency food by a Trussell Trust foodbank.

David McAuley, CEO of The Trussell Trust said:

"Over the past year Trussell Trust foodbanks have provided three days' emergency food and support to over 1 million people in crisis, of which nearly 400,000 were children. In July to September of 2014, over 20,000 more people were referred to a foodbank than in the previous 3 months. The summer holidays are a particularly difficult time for families whose children usually receive free school meals. Over the school holiday our foodbanks see a noticeable rise in need as parents already managing extremely tight budgets are pushed into food crisis.

"We're very grateful to Tesco and Tesco customers for their generous donations, not just during the Neighbourhood Food Collection times, but also from the permanent collection points which enable donations year-round, and already this year has accounted for approximately 300 kg on average donated every month."

Food donations to the Neighbourhood Food Collection benefit a range of people across the country, with donations going to either FareShare or The Trussell Trust. Tesco provides a 30% top-up to the charities based on the collective weight of donated goods.

The campaign has collected over 21 million meals for people in need since 2012, which includes the 30% top-up, food raised through permanent collection points in 507 Tesco stores and local collections, plus surplus food from Tesco's fresh food and online grocery distribution centres. The 30% top up is redistributed by the Trussell Trust and FareShare to participating foodbanks and charities.

Tesco is calling for customers to go into store and donate food or contact the local charities to volunteer. Follow @tescoandsociety and #everycanhelps for the latest on the Neighbourhood Food Collection.

ENDS

*Statistics from 'Family Spending, 2014 Edition' from ONS

For media enquiries on the Neighbourhood Food Collection please contact the Tesco press office on 01992 644 645.

For media enquiries on the Trussell Trust and information on case studies, please contact Andy May or Emma Thorogood on andy.may@trusselltrust.org or emma.thorogood@trusselltrust.org or call 020 3137 3699.

For media enquiries on FareShare and information on case studies, please contact Maria Olesen onmaria.olesen@fareshare.org.uk or call 020 7394 2467

Notes to editors

About the Neighbourhood Food Collection:

• Tesco works with its food collection partners, foodbank charity the Trussell Trust and food redistribution charity FareShare, to launch the Neighbourhood Food Collection.
• From 2-4 July 2015 Tesco customers are encouraged to donate at Tesco food collection points.
• Collection begins in Express stores from 22 June
• The donations to the Neighbourhood Food Collection go to either FareShare and The Trussell Trust – benefitting families and individuals across the UK.
• Tesco provides 30% top up to the charities based on the weight.
• To date, the campaign has collected 21.5 million meals for people in need since it launched in 2012.
• Top-up based on estimated value of food calculated by The Trussell Trust (England & Wales No. 1110522 & Scotland No.SC044246) or FareShare (No.1100051). The total meals figure includes the 30% top-up, permanent & local collections, plus surplus food provisions from January 2014 to November 2014. Details atwww.tesco.com/foodcollection

How to volunteer:

• Volunteers provide essential support to the Neighbourhood Food Collection so if you can spare an hour or two of your time please sign up with either FareShare or The Trussell Trust at your nearest store: http://www.fareshare.org.uk/food-collection-2015/ or http://www.trusselltrust.org/tesco-collection.

About The Trussell Trust:

• Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy or bereavement to welfare problems or receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. Trussell Trust's 400 strong network of foodbanks provide a minimum of three days' nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK.
• In 2014-15 foodbanks provided emergency food to 104,084,604 people nationwide. Of those helped, almost 400,000 were children.
• Everyone who comes to a Trussell Trust foodbank is referred by a frontline professional like CAB, housing associations and children's centres. Over 30,000 professionals refer to foodbanks in the UK.
• Over 90% of food given out is donated by the public and over 30,000 people volunteer at Trussell Trust foodbanks across the UK.
• Trussell Trust foodbanks do much more than food, they provide a listening ear and help resolve the underlying cause of the crisis. The Trussell Trust is currently piloting having financial advisers in foodbanks, in partnership with Martin Lewis.
• The top up is redistributed by the Trussell Trust to participating foodbanks and then used by them to: develop additional beneficiary support services e.g. counselling and housing advice, provide volunteering/training opportunities, help cover running costs, set up social enterprises and purchase food.
• www.trusselltrust.org

About FareShare:

• 3.9 million tonnes of food is wasted every year by the food and drink industry. We estimate 10% of this is surplus and fit for consumption, enough food for 800 million meals. We currently handle approximately 2% of the surplus food available in the UK.
• FareShare ensures that good food is put to good use rather than wasted.
• Over 1,900 charities and community projects benefit from FareShare food. These include breakfast clubs, women's refuges and luncheon clubs for older people. These charities save on average £13,000 a year, which can be reinvested into other services.
• 149,000 people benefit from FareShare food every week.
• In the last year, the food redistributed by FareShare contributed towards more than 15.3 million meals.
• We also provide training and education around the essential life skills of food preparation and nutrition, and as well as warehouse employability training.