SHOPPERS in Chard and Ilminster can now donate food items to their local foodbank at Tesco.

A new collection point in the FareShare network has been set up at both stores.

The new donation points mean that shoppers can drop off donations of long-life food whenever they are in store.

Tesco will also top up customer donations by an additional 20 per cent in the form of a cash donation to the charity.

Katie Sadler, programme manager at FareShare, said: “Tesco is really leading the way by enabling their customers to donate food to local vulnerable communities via collection points in their stores.

“By introducing even more permanent collection points for FareShare in stores across the UK, there are more opportunities for Tesco customers to make a donation of a food item where they are able to.

“In the last year, generous Tesco customers donated the equivalent of one million meals to FareShare, and I’d like to thank every single person for their support.

“The store cupboard essential items donated through the collection points, such as tinned meat, fish and pasta, are always needed.

“Those donations mean that we have a consistent supply of food, which we have been able to redistribute to our network of charities and community organisations supporting those most in need.”

Customers can also take a look at the donation point to see which food items their charity needs the most.

Tesco’s head of community Claire de Silva said: “Covid-19 has placed huge demands on food charities. FareShare has been supporting 12,000 frontline charity and community groups, while food banks in the Trussell Trust network provided a record 1.2 million food parcels during the first six months of the pandemic. We know that our customers want to help and by installing the new donation points it means all our customers can now easily donate food year-round.”

Shoppers can donate their Tesco Clubcard points to the Trussell Trust and FareShare through the Clubcard website, or they can donate directly to the charities at trusselltrust.org or fareshare.org.uk.