Co-op members help food banks in the South-West

Food banks across the south will receive donations totalling £30,000, thanks to Southern Co-op members scanning their cards as they shopped in December.

Membership cards were scanned on nearly 300,000 separate occasions, which the independent co-operative is converting to 10p per swipe and rounding up to £500 per food bank.

Food banks receiving donations are currently supported by collection points in stores as customers generously donate a range of products to those in need of a helping hand.

Gemma Lacey, Southern Co-op's Director of Sustainability and Communications, said: "We'd hoped that this campaign would bring together our members and engage them in a concerted effort to target food poverty and make a difference to so many local food banks."

Between April 2020 and March 2021, food banks in the Trussell Trust network gave out 2.5million emergency food parcels across the UK. Many of these will have been supported by food donated by people in their local communities.

Through financial donations, goods donations, volunteering and drop off points in 97 retail stores and funeral branches, Southern Co-op colleagues currently support 60 local community food banks.

These include Acts of Kindness Community (Solent), Alton - Trussell Trust, Andover - Trussell Trust, Appleford School on behalf of Salisbury, Trussell Trust, Gillingham, Warminster, YMCA Andover and many others.

To find out more about the campaign, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/membership/december-foodbank-donation/.

Co-op members help food banks in the South-West - New Valley News