Every little helps Bo’ness project thanks to Tesco Community Food Connection
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The Bo’ness Storehouse Foodbank, which was started by a group of local churches coming together back in 2012, is a volunteer-run organisation which delivers food packages to people in need in the local area. In 2023 alone, The Storehouse made over 1200 such deliveries to households across Bo’ness.
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Hide AdInstead of requiring people to visit the site to receive the goods, the volunteer groups deliver food to people that are referred to The Storehouse through via social work, schools, housing officers, health visitors and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
The Storehouse delivers weekly packs to the people they support, featuring a variety of good supplied from Tesco stores, including things like frozen meals, fruits and vegetables, and tinned goods.
The Bo’ness Storehouse Foodbank receives food every week as part of the Community Food Connection surplus food scheme which involves Tesco stores and FareShare.
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Hide AdMichael Wheatley, chair at The Bo’ness Storehouse Foodbank, said: “Thanks to the Community Food Connection scheme we’ve been able to increase the food we supply to residents in the local community who really need that extra support in their day-to-day lives.
“As an independent foodbank and a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation), we will always appreciate any additional support and the team at Tesco Bo’ness have gone above and beyond for us. Alongside the vital supplies which they provide us, the Tesco team at Bo’ness have done so much more for us such as supplying us with mobile pallets to help us manoeuvre goods at the Foodbank’s Unit. It’s this level of support that we’ve found so important in helping us provide healthy foodstuffs to those in need in Bo’ness.
“All the volunteers at The Storehouse would like to thank Tesco and FareShare for helping us through this project. We would also like to extend our thanks to all the local schools, churches, individuals, businesses and more that support us. It’s the sense of community spirit and involvement which we find most heartening and affirming.”
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Hide AdThe Community Food Connection scheme ensures that surplus food from Tesco doesn’t go to waste and is instead provided to charities and community groups whose volunteer members then distribute it to the public.
Tony McElroy, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Leader at Tesco, said: “Working with community groups and schools, such as The Bo’ness Storehouse Foodbank to help them get the food they need is such an important service for us to offer. The dedication they have to their local community is amazing, and we are pleased to do what we can to support.
“We firmly believe no good food should go to waste, which is why we began our Community Food Connection scheme. It enables us to ensure our surplus food is put to good use in communities.”
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Hide AdFareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste. Two-thirds of the organisations it provides food to, support children and families.
Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said: “The food that Tesco redistributes through FareShare makes a huge difference to people facing food insecurity across the UK.
“We work with thousands of charities and community groups providing essential support to their communities, and receiving a steady stream of food helps them to feed the people who need it most.”
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Hide AdBy providing the surplus food to help communities, Tesco is also aiding the environment by ensuring that the food does not end up as landfill.
Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of the Community Food Connection scheme can find further information at https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/.