Tesco and Help for Heroes launch urgent appeal for volunteers in Edinburgh

Supermarket giant Tesco is joining forces with a veterans’ charity to raise vital funds for ex-service personnel

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Volunteers are being sought to help boost the partnership between Tesco and Help for Heroes.

Staff at the Colinton store have launched an urgent appeal to people in Edinburgh to volunteer a couple of hours in store to fundraise on Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27. The fundraisingwill coincide with Armed Forces Day.

Hero Bear will be at Tesco Colinton on June 26 adn 27

Tesco and Help for Heroes are marking the occasion by encouraging people in Edinburgh to show their support to wounded veterans and their families who’ve been impacted by injury or illness sustained while serving their country in the British Armed Forces.

Help for Heroes saw a loss of approximately 75 per cent of its income from national collections during 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic while demand for support coping with mental health issues soared by more than one third.

Duncan Brash, Store Manager at Tesco Edinburgh Colinton, said : “As lockdown restrictions ease, we are pleased to be able to launch the National Collection Weekend and support the incredible work of Help for Heroes. We hope as many people as possible from Edinburgh will get involved across the weekend and take this fun opportunity to reconnect with others, while making a difference supporting those who are wounded or injured as a result of service.

“As always, the health and safety of our colleagues, customers and volunteers is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the government guidance on Covid-19 closely and

ensure all the necessary guidelines are followed at the time of the collections on 26th and 27th of June.”

Help for Heroes is the leading armed forces & veterans’ charity in the UK and has now supported over 25,000 people. The charity relies on the generosity of the public and the kind-hearted volunteers that get involved each year.

Yvonne Beattie, National Volunteer Coordinator at Help for Heroes for Scotland, added: “Volunteers have always been at the very heart of Help for Heroes, championing the cause and helping us to raise the vital funds we need to give wounded veterans and their families the support that they need for as long as they need It.”

She continued: “We are delivering our recovery services in the community, online and over the phone so that we can support more veterans than ever, closer to home. By volunteering at the Tesco National Collection Weekend, you will be playing a vital role in helping us to ensure that we deliver our promise to be here for veterans and families, whenever and wherever they need us.”

You can register to volunteer here or contact the Help for Heroes Campaigns team on 0300 303 9888 or [email protected].

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