Leeds volunteers urged to support winter food collection
The event is taking place later this month
People in Leeds are being urged to volunteer at Tesco stores as part of a nationwide food collection drive to help charities facing rising demand this winter.
The Tesco Winter Food Collection will take place at large Tesco stores across the UK from November 26 to 28, with the supermarket and its charity partners Trussell and Felix calling on people to give up their time to help collect donations.
Now in its 14th year, the event aims to provide food and other essential items to people struggling to afford the basics.
Donations to Trussell will help its network of food banks provide emergency food parcels, while those given to Felix will support more than 8,000 charities and community groups helping people across the country.
Volunteers will be stationed at collection points in Tesco stores, encouraging shoppers to donate and raising awareness of the support available to people experiencing hunger.
The charities say the collection comes at a time of continued pressure, with one in five Trussell food parcels coming from Tesco and its customers.
More than half of charities in the Felix network have also reported an increase in demand over the past year.
Christine Heffernan, chief communications and sustainability officer at Tesco, said: "The Winter Food Collection is a key moment in the Tesco calendar as part of our commitment to supporting families across the UK get access to food when they need it most.
"Last year, our generous customers donated almost 1.5m meals worth of food to the collection and, by volunteering a few hours of your time, you can help us increase donations allowing Felix and Trussell to get food to even more people facing a tough winter."
Matthew van Duyvenbode, co-chief executive of Trussell, said more people would be forced to seek help from food banks as temperatures dropped and household bills increased.
He said: "But with the support of Tesco, their customers and our incredible food collection volunteers, food banks can stay better stocked ready to support people facing hunger in their local communities.
"We urgently need you to play your part by getting involved in Tesco's Food Collection, whether that's through spreading the word, donating essential items or volunteering your time. Every small action makes an incredible difference - thank you so much."
Charlotte Hill, chief executive of Felix, said food collected through the partnership helped charities provide food alongside other vital services.
She added: "At a time when demand for food support is growing and people are struggling with the cost of living, the Tesco Winter Food Collection is more important than ever.
"We know from experience that having volunteers present in store significantly increases the number of food items donated, and hope that more people than ever will generously give up their time this year.
"By volunteering just three hours, people can play an important part in our mission and help create lasting change in communities across the country."
People can sign up to volunteer at their local Tesco store through either charity.
To volunteer with Felix, visit https://felix.org/tescofoodcollection
To volunteer with Trussell, visit https://www.trussell.org.uk/support-us/tesco-food-collection