Tesco to launch Buy One to Help a Child this summer in Linlithgow with the aim of providing up to three million meals for children

Currently, 2.3 million children in the UK live in households that have experienced food insecurity in the last six months.

To help ensure children do not miss out on meals Tesco will make a donation for every piece of fresh fruit and veg bought in its Scottish stores, including in Linlithgow, from July 19 to August 8.

The three-week ‘Buy One to Help a Child’ campaign aims to provide up to three million meals for Tesco’s charity partner FareShare to redistribute to charities and local community groups supporting children. The new scheme has been warmly welcomed by the FareShare chief executive.

Lindsay Boswell CBE, said it would help the food redistributor supply thousands of groups working with children and families across the UK.

He said: “In the last year, FareShare has doubled the amount of food we’re providing to people struggling to get enough to eat. While the lockdown may be easing, we know that food insecurity remains high.

“That’s why we are so pleased to see Tesco and its customers helping us to support children who need it. It will make a huge difference to so many people that have been affected by the pandemic.”

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and ROI CEO, said: “We wanted to find a really simple way to do our bit and help our customers do the same. We hope Buy One to Help A Child will encourage healthier choices for our customers at the same time as helping to feed children who need it most, so we can continue to help support the communities in which we live and work.”

Tesco is a member of the Child Poverty Task Force, formed by Marcus Rashford, and continues to support his campaign for free school meals for every child that needs them, at any time.

Marcus Rashford MBE, said: "We all have a role to play in the community and I’m so grateful to Tesco for stepping up to support vulnerable children and families through a difficult time. Whilst collectively we have made progress, numbers are continuing to rise of children going without meals.

"The Buy One to Help a Child campaign will make a huge difference to the thousands of families who are struggling at the moment to put food on the table.”