Falkirk superstores launch food drive this week to help those who need it most this winter

The Trussell Trust, which operates Falkirk Food Bank, is facing record levels of need throughout the festive season and New Year, with many local residents to need help over the coming two months.

To support people through what could be the toughest winter for many years, Tesco’s food collection will run in Falkirk area Tescos stores from Thursday, November 30 to Saturday, December 2.

The top 10 most-needed items required from Falkirk shoppers are UHT and powered milk, tinned meat and fish, sponge/rice pudding, long-life fruit juice, cooking/pasta

sauces, tinned vegetables, tinned and dried soup, pasta, rice and noodles, cereal and porridge, tea and coffee.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO, said: “Even the smallest donation can make a real difference to someone else’s Christmas.”

The Trussell Trust is expecting to distribute more than one million emergency food parcels between December and February and have reported that alarmingly,

320,000 people have needed to access a food bank for the first time in the past six months.

Emma Revie, Trussell Trust chief executive, said: “The support provided by Tesco and their customers is invaluable to the food banks in our network, especially at this

time of year when we anticipate that our network will be providing an emergency food parcel every eight seconds.

"The generous donations received are vital in ensuring food banks can meet the urgent levels of need, whilst we work towards a future where everyone can afford the

essentials.”