Tag: Fareshare

Cyrenians Fareshare depot delivers equivalent of over 4.2 million meals to charities and community groups

In the past year, Cyrenians’ FareShare depot based in Leith has distributed 1,800 tonnes of food to charities and community groups across Central and South East Scotland – the equivalent of creating over 4.2 million meals, and a three-fold increase on previous year. 

Cyrenians tackles the causes and consequences of homelessness. Building community through food and tackling food poverty is a large part of their work – through their FareShare depot in Leith, the charity redistributes surplus food from the supply chain to charities and community groups across Central and South East Scotland. 

Cyrenians FareShare Depot Operations Supervisor Craig Buchan said, “Ever since the start of covid-19 we have seen an increased demand for access to food in a quick, dignified manner. At the height of the pandemic, we were supporting over 200 Community Food Members – all of whom are organisations in their own right, delivering valuable services in their community. 

“Our model is two-fold; we prevent unnecessary food waste by working with large supermarkets and food networks to prevent surplus food being sent to waste, whilst helping organisations like Empty Kitchens Full Hearts and Eildon Housing Association and many others to redirect funds into essential frontline work by providing nutritious food at low costs.” 

Director of Commercial and Trading Services Mike Hartley added: “With the communities we serve still facing increasing pressure, and charities and community groups providing a real lifeline in these difficult times, it’s clear that this service has never been more needed. 

“Alongside supporting other groups across Central and South East Scotland, the depot team have helped to deliver valuable services right here in Edinburgh too. 

“With the help of our community partners and amazing volunteers, we have been able to continue running a range of community pantries across Edinburgh – offering dignified access to high quality affordable food. This enabled us to provide over 2,500 bags of food for pantry members.

“None of this could be possible without a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, alongside the financial support of individuals and businesses far and wide.

“On behalf of everyone at Cyrenians, I offer our sincere gratitude.” 

To find out more, visit www.cyrenians.scot  

Community spirit triumphs in Edinburgh as local people donate to support each other

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The Actimel campaign to “Give Communities Their Best Shot” * has got off to a hugely successful start.  With 339,080 Actimel bottles already donated to Fareshare and Foodcloud in the UK and Ireland, it’s clear that the willingness to help local people is still very much alive in lockdown 3.

Central & South East Scotland is smashing it as 8,770 bottles have already been donated to Edinburgh Fareshare distribution centre.

Recent research ** found that as many as 1 in 2 people are concerned about their community’s immunity.  In fact over half of British people place the same importance on the health of their community as they do on their own family and 78% of people are concerned about the health of the most vulnerable people in their communities.

Lindsay Boswell, CEO Fareshare says: Lindsay Boswell, CEO Fareshare says: “It’s great to see so many packs donated through the Actimel campaign so far, but there is still more that people can do. 

“FareShare has more than doubled the amount of food we distribute in response to the Covid-19 crisis, now supplying frontline charities with enough food to create 2 million meals each week – with two thirds being accessed by children and families.

“Now more than ever it’s vital to ensure vulnerable people can access a balanced diet, which is why the support from Actimel is so important. This campaign gives shoppers a means to support the most vulnerable people in their communities, by simply buying a pack*.”    

Sarah Dossett, Marketing Director Actimel says: “We’re delighted with the success of our campaign so far and really inspired by the community spirit of the Scottish public.

“Helping those that need it most, such as the people helped by FareShare, is what we believe in as a company. As a certified B Corp it’s very much a part of what drives us every day.”

Small but mighty: Each shot of Actimel*** is packed with 10 billion L. casei cultures along with 1/3 of the recommended daily intake in vitamin D, as well as vitamin B6 which support the normal function of the immune system. Just one shot a day and you can take on whatever the day throws at you.

●      Actimel contains Vitamins B6 & D to help support the normal function of the immune system.

* Give Communities Your Best shot” T&Cs: 18+. UK & Republic of Ireland. Start date 00:01 on 01/01/21. Closing date 23:59 on 30/04/21. Promotional packs. To participate, visit www.actimel.com, enter the unique code on the lid and select your community. Selection to be made from a list of different pre-defined regions that you can discover on our website.

Limited to 100,000 packs donated in UK and 10,000 in ROI to food related charities, in the UK: FareShare (Charity No: 1100051), in ROI: FoodCloud (Charity No: CHY21177). Full T&Cs see www.actimel.com.

** Danone General Health Attitudes Survey of 1000 adults in UK & Ireland

*** Contains naturally occurring sugars 

Random Acts of Nature: Buck & Birch donates hundreds of bottles of Elderberry Elixir to those in need this week

Recipients include care homes and Scottish charity, FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland 

Supporting the vulnerable, endorsing natural ingredients and championing the Scottish community, Buck & Birch launched the Wild Elderberry Elixir to boost immunity amidst the global pandemic.  

Now, to mark Random Acts of Kindness Week (14th – 20th February), Buck & Birch will be teaming up with FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland and also working with local care homes, charities and more, to donate hundreds of bottles of the Elixir, ensuring it reaches those who will benefit most from its sustainably harvested herbs and spices. 

FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland, which is run by the charity Move On, will receive 500 bottles of the Elixir, worth £7,500, to aid in supplying members of the community who are particularly susceptible at this time.  

On top of that, Buck & Birch will continue its permanent initiative to offer a little health help to those in need, with each bottle of Wild Elderberry Elixir sold from any Buck & Birch retailer, seeing an additional one donated to frontline workers; following on from those already provided to care homes and charities for the elderly, last year.  

Tom Chisholm, director of Buck & Birch, explains they are just a Scottish business who want to give something back: “For millennia elderberries have been used to minimise the risk of catching cold and flu as well as alleviating the symptoms.

“So, in response to the COVID outbreak we teamed up with Monica Wilde of Napiers the Herbalists to make our Elderberry Elixir, suitable for the whole family and the perfect, tasty way of getting your daily dose of this beneficial fruit. 

“The whole point of us launching the Elixir was to help boost physical health and wellbeing, so surely the point is that it reaches those that are in need of it most?” 

Jim Burns, Director of Operations of Move On explains why donations such as these are so important: “Here at FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland we take surplus product from across the food and drink industry and redistribute it to organisations that support the most vulnerable, including children, the homeless, refugees and elderly people.

“When we receive donations from the likes of Buck & Birch, it means we can provide more varied deliveries to our charity partners, who can then in turn offer a wider range of food and drink to the people they support.

“This is exceptionally important when we are in the midst of a global lockdown, when life for many, is already harder than before.” 

Buck & Birch Wild Elderberry Elixir is also available to purchase (£14.99): https://www.aelderelixir.com/aelder-shop/elderberry-elixir

Wild Elderberry Elixir – family food supplement — Aelder ElixirA concentrated elderberry, bramble and rosehip syrup providing a good source of Vitamin C, enhanced with sustainably harvested herbs and spices. Each 5 ml serving contains 100mg of vitamin C. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Family food supplement www.aelderelixir.com

MPs press Government to provide support for FareShare scheme

The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee has urged the UK Government to provide £5 million in extra funding to support those struggling to afford sufficient food this winter.

This echoes a call made earlier this year by the Committee in its report on Covid-19 and Food Supply. In a letter from the Committee’s Chair to the Secretary of State, the cross-party group of MPs show support for a FareShare scheme which redistributes surplus food from the supply chain to food charities.

FareShare estimates that the scheme would provide 47 million meals per year to the most vulnerable in society.

Chair of the EFRA Select Committee, Neil Parish MP, said: “We face a tough winter with many businesses closing and incomes reducing or disappearing, pushing people into food poverty.

“The Government must make sure that the most vulnerable members of society have access to enough healthy food. To waste food in the supply chain at such a time would be abhorrent, and this grant would provide a huge boost to the invaluable work of charities redistributing surplus food to those who most need it.”

City food charity delivers almost ONE MILLION meals to those in need through coronavirus crisis

  • FareShare Central & South East Scotland is now delivering enough food to create around 100,000 meals a week to those at risk of hunger, up from 23,000 before lockdown, to 190 frontline charities across Central and South East Scotland
  • Last year the charity delivered enough food to create almost 1.5 million meals to 138 charities and community groups across the region, including homeless hostels, domestic violence refuges, breakfast clubs and food banks

Food charity FareShare Central & South East Scotland, operated in partnership with Cyrenians, has quadrupled the amount of food delivered to frontline charities supporting vulnerable people since lockdown measures began. The charity is praising the ‘extraordinary’ efforts of its supporters and volunteers during the crisis. 

Over the course of the last year, the Edinburgh-based charity redistributed over 602 tonnes of in-date surplus food from the food industry to 138 charities,  including homeless shelters, school breakfast clubs, food banks and day centres. The food they redistribute includes fresh meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, ready meals, milk and cheese.

However, in the weeks following the lockdown, demand for its service has soared and the charity has distributed over 420 tonnes of food. As well as fresh food, the charity is now providing packets and tins to help create food parcels for those who are self-isolating.

Lynnne Collie, service manager at Cyrenians-operated FareShare, said:“Because of the lockdown many more families and individuals are finding themselves in really tough circumstances, and demand for our food has skyrocketed.

“We’re doing everything we can to continue to get food onto people’s plates, whether that’s delivering fresh food to homeless hostels and domestic violence refuges, or supplying community organisations with the packets and tins they need to get vital food supplies onto the doorsteps of families who are self-isolating.

 “We’re incredibly grateful to our team of volunteers who have gone above and beyond to get this food out, and to everyone who has made a donation. These are tough times for everyone and it’s so heartening to see our community pulling together to get food out to people who need it during this crisis.”

Cyrenians, a Scottish charity tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness, uses FareShare food in a number of its services.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, emergency food bags are being prepared and delivered to at-risk individuals and families across Edinburgh, Falkirk and the Lothians, including those with experience of homelessness currently self-isolating in hotels. The produce also goes towards their Community Cook School, which has been repurposed into a production kitchen, cooking up to 1,000 ready-meals a day.

Neil Hay, Head of Enterprise at Cyrenians, said:“Nobody should have to go without essentials like food or a home. This crisis has put even more pressure on communities who were already struggling to get by, so it is vital that people get the support they need.

“The team of staff and volunteers have done a phenomenal job in seamlessly scaling up the service to meet this demand during an exceptionally difficult period.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all those who have supported our work – the response over these past few months has been both staggering and humbling, and we could not do what we do without their assistance.”

To find out more and donate to FareShare Central & South East Scotland, visit: www.cyrenians.scot/community-and-food/good-food/fareshare.

More cash for Scottish Government’s Food Fund

People most at risk from food insecurity due to the COVID-19 outbreak are to receive further support from the Scottish Government’s £70 million Food Fund. An additional £1.6 million of funding will help FareShare purchase more food for local authorities, community-run initiatives and frontline charities across Scotland.

FareShare, a national network of charitable food distributors, has distributed over 1,440 tonnes of food –  the equivalent of almost 3.5 million meals – since 23 March, supported by £500,000 of Scottish Government funding.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “At this difficult time, it is more important than ever that we tackle food insecurity by supporting the work of community food distribution groups across the country who are best placed to ensure vital supplies reach those who need it most.

“By working in partnership with FareShare and their partners in communities across Scotland, this extra funding will help frontline charities and community food groups provide support to even more people in need.

“I would encourage anyone who is struggling to afford or access food during these challenging times to contact our national helpline on 0800 111 4000.”

Head of FareShare Scotland Gillian Kynoch said: “We are experiencing an enormous pull on our resources during these challenging times. While food companies continue to make their surplus food available to us, the need in communities for support with additional food remains great.

“This additional £1.6 million will enable us to top up our food supplies through the coming months and keep on providing food to the frontline organisations caring for and supporting people hard pressed by the current crisis.”

 Leader of Highland Council Margaret Davidson said:  “The strong collaboration between the council and FareShare has benefited the many households who have been receiving nutritional food parcels from our local community hubs since lockdown began.

In addition to the food supplies for the council, FareShare continues to supply a wide range of community groups across the Highlands who in turn are ensuring local households are nourished.

“Our welfare team continues to carry out benefit checks ensuring that all benefits are claimed, including the Scottish Welfare Fund.”

The £70 million Food Fund supports people facing additional barriers in accessing food, and has been distributed as follows:

  • £30 million for the national shielding programme to provide food parcels to those at high clinical risk from COVID-19
  • £30 million to Local Authorities for others who are at-risk or struggling financially, including over-70s and families eligible for free school meals
  • £10 million to third-sector partners delivering community-based responses at national and local levels, including FareShare.

FareShare is a UK-wide network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 17 independent organisations. Together they take quality surplus food from across the UK and get it to almost 11,000 frontline charities and community groups.

If you live in North Edinburgh and are experiencing hardship, local support is right on your doorstep:

Cyrenians FareShare depot in Leith redistributes record food load

In the past month, the Cyrenians FareShare depot in Leith has redistributed a record-breaking 164 tonnes of food in response to a huge increase in demand during the covid19 pandemic – over a three-fold increase compared to April last year.

This week local MSP Ben Macpherson visited on his daily walk to thank staff and volunteers for safely supporting his constituents, and so many others across the Lothians, at this challenging time.

Cyrenians tackles the causes and consequences of homelessness. Building community through food and tackling food poverty is a large part of their work – through their FareShare depot in Leith, the charity redistributes surplus food from the supply chain to charities and community groups across Central and South East Scotland.

Lynne Collie, Service Manager, praised the response from the wider community: “Alongside our emergency fundraising appeal, we put a call-out at the start of this pandemic for food producers and suppliers to get in touch if they could help out so that we could meet demand.

The response has been phenomenal, and I would like to thank each and every person who has donated food, money, and time to our depot.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to my team of staff and volunteers, who have done an amazing job in scaling up the operation to meet the increased demand.”

In addition to this, Cyrenians Community Cook School, situated on Jane Street opposite their Fareshare depot, has been transformed into a production kitchen supporting their efforts to tackle food inequality.

Since the pandemic hit, the cook school have been cooking on average 700 healthy, freezer-ready meals a day, with support from local chefs, to distribute to those at-risk and frontline workers across the city.

Ewan Aitken, CEO of Cyrenians, said, “This pandemic is highlighting the stark inequalities that exist in society – those trapped in poverty are at greater risk of both the virus itself and the economic fallout, and we’re seeing more and more people making impossible choices, like whether to put food on the table or whether to pay for bills or rent.

“It’s also highlighted just how interdependent we all are, and I hope that, as we rebuild following this crisis, that legacy will endure.

“We can prevent homelessness, and it is incumbent on all of us – from the grassroots to national governments – to do so. I would like to thank the Scottish Government amongst others for their support to get food to those who need it.”

Ben Macpherson MSP said, “It was uplifting to see first-hand what staff and volunteers at the Cyrenians FareShare depot in Leith are doing to safely help many of my constituents and people in need across the Lothians, supported by funding from the Scottish Government and generous donations from many different companies and individuals.

“I’m inspired by the work that the Cyrenians does both in and from my constituency, and am grateful to everyone involved with FareShare for supporting vulnerable people and communities at this difficult time”

To find out more about Cyrenians’ emergency appeal, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Covid19CrisisAppeal

Emergency Free Meals: More food deliveries through £70m Food Fund

More community food projects will receive funding to provide emergency free meals to those most in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Around £700,000 has been allocated from the £70 million Scottish Food Fund to 19 projects, including a £350,000 grant to the Wheatley Group to provide 8,500 emergency food deliveries to people most in need in 17 local authority areas as part of its own EatWell service over the next three months.

A further 18 schemes will share £400,000 to provide emergency food through a range of projects working with minority ethnic households, family support groups or mental health teams.

The Food Fund comprises £30 million for food deliveries for the ‘shielded’ groups at highest clinical risk, and a further £30 million to local authorities for free school meals and food support for older people, those with long-term health conditions and pregnant women.

The remaining £10 million is for critical third sector and community response organisations, which includes funding so far of £500,000 each for Social Bite, FareShare and Cash for Kids.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “As part of Scotland’s £70 million Food Fund, we’re making an initial £10 million available to help support community food projects, and these latest grants will help ensure people are not only fed but treated with dignity.

“I am very grateful to be working alongside the Trussell Trust, FareShare and other members of the Independent Food Network to provide people at risk in our communities with the basic essentials their families need. I’m particularly pleased that FareShare is now working closely with many councils to strengthen local responses.

“The existing close partnership working we already had with these leading food charities has significantly stepped up to ensure people who are in the greatest financial risk as a result of the impact of the pandemic have access to food and basic essentials.

“Uniquely among the countries of the UK, the ‘cash-first’ elements of approach mean that where people can safely get out to buy food, we make sure they have access to the cash to do so.

“This is the most dignified way we can provide food support and we will continue to do all we can to help people overcome any barriers in their way. I am pleased that these charities have welcomed this approach as the most dignified way of supporting people with food insecurity.”

Martin Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of Wheatley Group, said: “We are delighted the Scottish Government has agreed to help fund our EatWell emergency food delivery service over the next three months.

“This support will be very much appreciated by the thousands of individuals and families in Wheatley homes across the country relying on this vital service. I am confident that by continuing to work well together, we will be able to tackle the considerable challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis.”

Emma Revie, CEO of the Trussell Trust, said: “We all deserve the dignity of having enough money to buy the essentials we need for ourselves and our families, so we welcome the cash-first approach from the Scottish Government that aims to get money to people who are financially vulnerable due to this crisis.

“Despite these efforts, we know that there will still be households across Scotland that will be unable to afford basics such as food.

“In response, we have been working closely with independent food banks, FareShare and the Scottish Government to overcome significant challenges in the supply chain and ensure food will be available to those most in need of help.”

Sabine Goodwin, Coordinator, Independent Food Network, said: “While supporting independent food bank teams working tirelessly to cope with increasing need across Scotland, the Independent Food Aid Network has appreciated being able to work collaboratively with the Scottish Government, FareShare and the Trussell Trust. 

“However challenging it is to distribute emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford food, we are trying to keep one eye firmly on the future and our joint vision of a Scotland without the need for charitable food aid.

“We very much welcome the Scottish Government’s support of communities at this time and particularly its prioritisation of cash first solutions and investment in the Scottish Welfare Fund.”

Gillian Kynoch from FareShare said: “The Scottish Government has worked hard to ensure we are integrated into the Local Authority response in each area to coordinate support for the self-isolating, over 70’s, and those experiencing – and at risk of – food insecurity.

“Many community food organisations that normally provide cooked meals to support vulnerable or low income people, older people lunch clubs, after school clubs, community cafes, have had to close their doors.

“These same groups and many others have adapted quickly and swung into action providing food parcels and hot meals delivered to people at home.  The scale of this challenge has been significant but our collective ramp-up has been helped by a big response to our call for volunteers. So many that we are now operating reserve lists – which is fantastic.”

Organisations unite to get food to people most in need

  • Many food banks across the UK have reported they are running low on essential food supplies
  • FareShare has seen a steep rise in applications from charities and community groups across the UK in need of vital food supplies
  • Sainsbury’s, British Gas, The Entertainer, Palletforce and XPO Logistics are working together alongside charities, the Trussell Trust and FareShare, to form part of a national solution to distribute food so food banks and community charities can continue to support people most in need
  • The major organisations are working together to ensure this food reaches food banks and community charities as quickly and safely as possible

Sainsbury’s, British Gas, The Entertainer, Palletforce, XPO Logistics and British Gas have joined forces to help distribute food to people who need it most. The unprecedented partnership will ensure the Trussell Trust and FareShare can continue to help support people struggling in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Each organisation1 is playing a vital role in distributing donated food from supermarkets, wholesalers and other food companies to food banks and community charities across the UK.

This innovative partnership comes as the Trussell Trust warns that more people are likely to need a food bank’s help as a result of the outbreak. Food charity FareShare has also seen a steep rise in applications from charities and community groups across the UK who are in need of vital food supplies.

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust said: “This unique partnership beautifully articulates how society is pulling together in the fight against Covid-19.

“All these organisations have innovatively adapted their services to support the people most in need during this challenging time, and we are truly grateful that they are helping food banks to continue to provide their essential community service. But ultimately, no one should need to use a food bank. We want to ensure that this community spirit, of supporting one another during difficult times, continues long after this pandemic, so we can create a society where everyone can buy their own food.”

Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand said: “Coronavirus has impacted everyone in the UK and it’s important that we support each other now, more than ever.

“We are committed to supporting our colleagues, customers and our local communities during this crisis. In addition to helping FareShare redistribute food, we are still operating our food donation points in 92% of our stores which support 2,250 food donation partnerships, ensuring food continues to go topeople who need it most.”

Lindsay Boswell, CEO at FareShare, said: “This partnership is a testament to the incredible things we can achieve when businesses and the voluntary sector works together with a common purpose.

“It will enable FareShare to dramatically scale up the amount of food we can distribute right across the UK, enabling us to get more food out to the thousands of charities and community groups, fellow food redistribution organisations, food banks and pantries. It is these groups who, under the most extraordinary circumstances, are doing everything they can to safely deliver food onto the doorsteps of those who are most at risk.”

Matthew Bateman, Managing Director of Field Operations at British Gas, said: “This partnership is a great example of people and businesses coming together to help people who need it most.

“There are still so many of our people that want to do more to help people in need so by working with the Trussell Trust we can help get food and other essentials to those who really need it. We are in a unique position to help with our nationwide reach and with the third largest fleet in the UK.”

Gavin Williams, managing director, supply chain – UK & Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: “This is a fantastic initiative, a collaboration that really does have a significant positive impact on the groups of people most affected by the pandemic.

“Our part in the food journey is in creating mixed parcels, palletising and consolidating them, before they reach the food banks. We are proud to be playing a role in expanding and speeding up the supply of essential goods to the front-line doorstep delivery.”

Michael Conroy, CEO of Palletforce, said: “Palletforce has helped deliver surplus food for FareShare for a number of years now and we’re privileged to play our part in distributing these food donations.

“Our members are out there ensuring supply chains keep moving, guaranteeing food and other essential supplies make their way to retailers. We’re pleased that they can assist in distributing critical supplies to food banks supported by FareShare and the Trussell Trust.”

Gary Grant, Founder and Executive Chairman of The Entertainer: “We’re extremely proud to have joined together with other retailers and businesses to support people in need within our communities during this challenging time.

“It’s both humbling and inspiring to see the outpouring of support for each other across the country and the coming together of retailers and businesses to provide help and support is something we’re delighted we can be part of. We hope the food will bring comfort to people who receive it in these difficult times.”

Co-op to donate to donate £1.5m worth of food to FareShare

Convenience retailer Co-op has announced that from next week, it will be donating £1.5 million worth of food to FareShare, in a show of co-operation to help boost stocks, support local communities and those citizens who are struggling amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

FareShare – the UK’s largest hunger fighting charity – supports over 11,000 charities and community groups, including food banks and Co-op has pledged £1.5 million of essential food products which will be split amongst FareShare’s 23 regional centres, and then supplied to a network of local community groups across the country.

Food banks have seen a significant drop in donations as the Coronavirus takes hold, but it is in these times of national crisis that they remain a lifeline for those who rely on the donations to feed their families. Demand is only set to grow as the number of people who unexpectedly find themselves out of work increases.

Jo Whitfield, CEO, Co-op Food, said: “The Co-op has a critical role to play in supporting our members, customers and colleagues, as well as the local communities that our stores sit at the heart of.

“Food banks have never been more important, so it makes sense that we provide support to help FareShare keep people fed and watered during this unprecedented time.

“Co-op already supports around 1,500 local community groups with our national food redistribution programme, Food Share, and we know that they are finding it tough at the moment, so I’m really pleased and proud we can provide FareShare directly with the essential products they need to help our communities.

“It’s a great example of us all cooperating and pulling together to help those most in need and I would ask everybody if they can, to contribute to a food bank near to them. Every tin, jar or carton makes a difference.”

Lindsay Boswell, CEO FareShare, said “At this time of huge uncertainty, we all need to pull together to help those most vulnerable and most affected by the issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The very generous support of £1.5 million worth of food from the Co-op will enable the FareShare network to maintain a continued vital food supply line into our charities over a prolonged period of ten weeks, providing great reassurance that there will be a baseload of food provided to the 11,000 charities and community groups that FareShare and our partners support every week across the UK.”

Co-op have also announced today they will be prioritising more vulnerable customers and those who care for them, during the hours of 8am to 9am Monday – Saturday /10am to 11am on Sundays. As a local convenience retailer, Co-op is uniquely positioned to serve these customers.

Jo Whitfield, CEO, Co-op Food said: “I would like to thank our customers for their ongoing support as we all pull together during these unprecedented times.

“We won’t close our Co-op to other customers during this hour, but I would ask for their understanding as we prioritise the needs of our most vulnerable customers and the amazing people who look after and care for them.”

Earlier this week the Co-op also announced measures to combat holiday hunger in pupils caused by unplanned school closures. 6,500 students across 25 Co-op Academy Schools who currently have free school meals, will be given a £20 voucher for every week that schools remain shut.