CUSTOMERS of Tesco in Auchinleck have played their part in donating almost 35,000 meals to charity.

The Tesco Food Collection, which ran in stores across Ayrshire from November 29 to December 1 saw food collected for charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust.

Generous customers in Cumnock and Doon Valley chipped in with long-life items to help people in need.

Lindsay Boswell, CEO at FareShare thanked Tesco Auchinleck customers for their generosity.

He said: “The food donated at the Tesco Food Collection will make a tremendous difference to the thousands of charities and community groups that FareShare supports.

“These groups are doing amazing work with some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Thanks to the generosity of Tesco shoppers over the festive season, we have enough long-life food to provide meals to those helping people in need across the UK. We’d like to thank everyone who donated, as well as all the volunteers who made the store collections such a success.”

Emma Revie, chief executive at The Trussell Trust added: “Our foodbank network has spent the last month making sure that people referred to them with no money for food don’t go hungry this Christmas. This work has been made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of Tesco customers, store colleagues and volunteers during the Food Collection. Thank you for your support - your generosity has stopped hunger this Christmas.”

To help the charities in their work, Tesco is once again topping up the value of the customer donations by 20 per cent, providing the two charities with funding to run the foodbanks and distribute the food to those in need.

Tesco’s UK CEO Jason Tarry said: “Year upon year we are taken aback by the generosity of customers who give to the Tesco Food Collection in our stores the length and breadth of the UK.

“We know that this annual collection makes a real difference to the charities we work with, and I would like to thank everyone who has donated, volunteered or helped in store.”