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All Tesco stores in Southport now
donating to good causes as meal total hits 41,611
MORE than 40,000 meals have been
provided to charities and community groups in Southport thanks to Tesco's
surplus food redistribution scheme Community Food Connection. The total has been
released to mark the roll-out of the scheme across all of Tesco's stores across
the UK. Stores are able to provide surplus food every night. To date more than
20 million meals have been provided to charities and community groups taking
part in the scheme, with food for 600,000 meals a week now being provided to
good causes across the UK, saving them money which can be used to provide other
services.
In Southport Tesco's initiative has seen 41,611 meals donated to local groups
including homeless shelters, community centres, breakfast clubs, and groups
providing food to vulnerable older people.
The Community Food Connection programme is run in conjunction with FareShare and
FoodCloud. Good causes are able to link up with local Tesco stores, from small
Express stores to big Tesco Extras, via an innovative app that allows store
teams to alert them to surplus unsold food items available at the end of each
day. Not only does the scheme benefit the community groups involved, but it also
prevents unsold food going to waste.
Tesco's Head of Community Alec Brown said:- "We know that Community Food
Connection is making a real difference to communities in Southport by providing
people in need with meals from food that would otherwise go to waste.
Now that all of our stores are taking part in Community Food Connection there
are more opportunities than ever for groups to benefit from the free food
provided under the scheme. I would invite any group that thinks they could
benefit from the scheme to contact FareShare, as we have the capacity to help
even more good causes." Tesco helped develop the nationwide scheme in partnership with food
redistribution charity, FareShare using an app created by the small social
enterprise FoodCloud.
Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of FareShare, said:- "This is an
incredible milestone in store level food redistribution to charities which Tesco
has made possible since developing the programme with FareShare and FoodCloud.
Tesco has led the way with introducing such a step change in tackling their
store surplus food and having seen the scheme grow and create such impact for
vulnerable people, it proves that it can deliver very obvious results which can
benefit other retailers and their local communities too." Tesco and FareShare are calling on charities and community groups across
Southport to register for the scheme, which sees food including fresh produce
such as fruit, vegetables and bakery products, as well as chilled products like
meat, cheese and ready meals, donated for free to groups that sign up.
If you are a charity or community group that could benefit go on to the
support of Community Food Connection
website to register.
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