Shoppers in Basingstoke are being urged to donate food to help people in need this winter.
With the 12th annual Tesco Winter Food Collection now underway, customers at participating Basingstoke stores can make a significant impact by donating long-life food items.
The collected items will be handed over to charities Trussell Trust and FareShare, both of which are preparing for a busy winter season with a high demand for their services.
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"With frontline charities and foodbanks facing exceptionally high demand this year, pre-packed donation bags make it easy to make a big difference to someone else’s Christmas."
The food collection is a crucial source of extra donations for the charities, which have received £500,000 each from Tesco this year to help meet increased demand during the summer and winter holiday periods.
The scale of the issue is highlighted by Trussell Trust research and FareShare's annual impact report.
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The Trussell Trust reveals that nearly a quarter of children under the age of four are facing hunger and hardship, while a record 9.3 million people across the UK are in a similar situation.
FareShare's report indicates that the 8,000 charity partners and community groups it supports have seen an 86 per cent increase in people accessing their services.
In response, Tesco is making pre-packed customer donation bags available at more stores, including 86 of its largest Express stores, in a bid to surpass the two million meals donated during last year's collection.
The bags, priced between £2 and £3, contain healthy, long-life items and can be picked up and paid for at the checkout.
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They will be distributed to charities and food banks by FareShare and Trussell.
Trussell chief executive Emma Revie said: "Foodbanks 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."
The most needed items according to FareShare and Trussell are UHT and powdered milk, tinned meat and fish, and sponge or rice pudding.
The Winter Food Collection is running in Express stores until November 30, and in larger stores from November 28 to November 30.
The busy collection period comes as levels of need remain high, with more than 600,000 food parcels distributed by Trussell's food banks between December 2023 and January 2024.
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