Hope+ boosted by Tesco food donation scheme
A pilot scheme in Liverpool to donate unsold supermarket food to those in need has been so successful that it’s being rolled out across Merseyside.
Hope+, the multi-faith community outreach scheme designed to take a more joined up approach to food poverty, was a major beneficiary of the pilot scheme at Tesco’s Park Road and Old Swan stores.
The initiative, a partnership with Tesco's Community Food Connection and FareShare FoodCloud service, will now be rolled out to a further ten stores: Allerton Road, Liverpool One, Edge Hill, Walton Liverpool, Formby, Deysbrook Barracks, Woolton, Bidston Moss Extra, Heswall and Litherland.
Charities and community groups who sign up are linked to Tesco stores using technology that allows stores to alert projects to surplus food available at the end of each day.
Simon Jones, store manager at Tesco Old Swan, told the Liverpool Echo: “No food that can be eaten should go to waste. We’re working hard to make sure that the unsold food is made the most of. We have great links with local charities and community groups, so we’re pleased to introduce another initiative that will support their efforts to help vulnerable people.”
The pilot included 14 Tesco stores across the UK, which donated more than 22 tonnes of food to more than 50 charities, the equivalent weight to over 50,000meals.
Nädine Daniel, Hope+ Project Manager based at Liverpool Cathedral, explained: “Twice a week we receive items such as fresh bakery goods, fruit and vegetables on their best before date from Tesco stores, which we then distribute to our guests. Providing a nutritionally balanced food hamper for up to 250 people each and every week is a huge challenge, and as an independent charity, one that we could not hope to achieve were it not for the generous donations from churches, local businesses, schools, and individual donors.”
Nädine added: “We also do a significant amount of work with newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees, of whom Liverpool houses more than any other city in the UK.”
Hope+ was founded in February 2013 by Liverpool Cathedral together with our Foundation Partners Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and the St Luke in the City team.
This week Hope+ provided its 26,000th food hamper. This is equivalent to 400,000 meal portions in three years. The Lent WashDay16 project involved collecting toiletries and washing products; instead of washing the feet of guests on Maundy Thursday, Hope+ provided them with everything they needed to wash themselves and their clothes.
Hope+ also collects clothes, which are especially needed by asylum seekers, who often arrive with just the clothes they are wearing.
To make a donation call Nädine on 0151 702 7237 or email foodbank@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk
For more information and to register for FareShare FoodCloud please visit www.fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-foodcloud