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GENEROUS PEOPLE IN BASILDON DONATE 5231 MEALS TO HELP PEOPLE IN CRISIS THIS SUMMER

11th August 2016

Generous Tesco customers have set the bar high in BASILDON by donating food for an incredible 5231 meals during the eighth Neighbourhood Food Collection. The collection took place between 30th June – 2nd July 2016, in partnership with Tesco and charity partners The Trussell Trust and Fareshare

For many people, emergency food is just the first step in helping them access other services and support which can help get their lives back on track, so the importance of a food donation in helping someone overcome a crisis cannot be underestimated.

Pastor Victor Oladele Basildon Foodbank Manager, said: We want to say a massive thank you to everyone in Basildon who took part in this summer’s Neighbourhood Food Collection. We saw some incredible donations from people in the community – there were several times when people donated whole trollies of food! Whether you donated or volunteered in store this year, we want to say a sincere thank you because your generosity and support has a direct impact. It is only with the support of local people that the foodbank is able to continue giving vital help when someone is hit by something like illness, redundancy or an unexpected bill.

During the collection, customers were asked to donate non-perishable food items such as long-life milk, tinned vegetables and tinned fish. Stephen Metcalfe MP, Pastor Victor Oladele and volunteers from the Redeemed Christian Church of God Majesty Connections (the operators of the Basildon Foodbank) joined with Tesco staff in store to collect donations from kind-hearted customers. Tesco then topped up all donations by 20 per cent.

Ends

Notes to editors About the Neighbourhood Food Collection:

  • Tesco works with its food collection partners, The Trussell Trust and FareShare to run the Neighbourhood Food Collection. From 30th June – 2nd July 2016 Tesco customers were encouraged to donate at Tesco food collection points.
  • The donations to the Neighbourhood Food Collection go to either FareShare or The Trussell Trust – benefitting families and individuals across the UK.
  • Tesco provides 20% financial top up to the charities based on the total weight of food donated.
  • Top-up based on estimated value of food calculated by The Trussell Trust (England & Wales No. 1110522 & Scotland No.SC044246) or FareShare (No.1100051). Details at tesco.com/foodcollection

About Basildon foodbank

  • Basildon foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust network.
  • Basildon Foodbank is operated by the Redeemed Christian Church of God Majesty Connections
  • The Basildon foodbank has been has been serving the local community since August 2013

 

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. The Trussell Trust’s 420+ strong network of foodbanks provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK.
  • In 2015-16 foodbanks provided 1,309,903 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis nationwide. Of those helped, 415,866 were children.
  • Everyone who comes to a Trussell Trust foodbank is referred by a frontline profession al 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.
  • Find out more at www.trusselltrust.org

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