Food bank donations help create 30,000 meals in just one month for people impacted by Coronavirus

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 30/04/2020


Food banks have said ‘thank you’ to people for donating enough food to deliver 30,000 meals to those impacted by Coronavirus.

In just one month, kind-hearted Central England Co-op customers and members across the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire have donated over 60,000 items into special collection points in all of its stores as part of an urgent food bank appeal launched by the retailer last month.

These items have been collected by food partners in the area, turned into food packages and handed out to those most at need during this uncertain time.

However, food banks have also reiterated that it is vital people continue to donate items in the coming weeks and months to ensure everyone from families to schoolchildren do not go hungry.

Central England Co-op Chief Executive Debbie Robinson said: “Even in times of uncertainty, our customers and members have shown once again their generosity by donating enough food to ensure that thousands of people can receive vital care packages and cook meals for them and their families.

“On behalf of our food bank partners, we want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported our food bank campaign but also to ask them to continue to dig deep and keep donating an item or two when they visit our stores.

“If we all continue to work together as a community during this uncertain time we will be able to make sure that nobody goes hungry and everyone gets the vital support they need.”

Items needed for the food bank appeal include cereal, tinned food and fruit, tea bags, dried pasta, rice, long life milk, sugar, biscuits, fruit juice and squash, pasta sauce and instant coffee.

On average, food banks are seeing a 50% fall in donations coupled with a 100% rise in requests for food parcels with new enquiries coming from people who are self isolating, self employed and families who have children that would normally be getting free school meals.

Central England Co-op currently works with over 60 food bank partners spread across 16 counties.

The retailer has also made significant donations to its partners FareShare Midlands and FareShare East Anglia to ensure that the vital work they do in the local community can continue at this time.

People can keep up to date with how Central England Co-op is responding to the Coronavirus by visiting www.centralengland.coop/updates

 

Notes to editors

Picture caption: An example of some of the food that has been donated to food banks by customers and members at Central England Co-operative stores.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral, travel and property investment.

 

Co-operatives have always been there for their communities; they were formed to protect them and help them flourish. 

 

Our 7,900 colleagues who serve Members and customers work hard to ensure that co-operative values, principles and spirit flow through everything we do to help support and improve our local communities.

 

Owned by hundreds of thousands of Members, we have over 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. 

 

We are proud of our reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.

 

We invest a percentage of our trading profit into local communities through our Community Dividend Fund scheme, have donated over £1.3 million to our corporate charity partner Dementia UK and also operate a pioneering food redistribution partnership with FareShare Midlands so unsold food goes to those in need.

 

Visit www.centralengland.coop for more information or follow us on Facebook or Twitter using @mycoopfood

 

 

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

 

Phone - 01543 421390

 

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop