Tesco to support children facing hunger during summer holidays

With almost a third [31%] of families in South West England worried about feeding their children during the school holidays*, shoppers in the area are being urged to support a campaign ensuring youngsters get nutritional food this summer.

As part of its Stronger Starts programme, Tesco stores in Devon are inviting customers to round up their bill to the nearest pound at the checkout during one week in July and another in August, with all funds being split between the food charities FareShare and the Trussell Trust.

This summer will also see Tesco expand its pre-packed customer donation bags to all large stores in Devon. The bags, which typically cost between £2 and £3, are pre-filled with healthy and nutritious long-life items and can be picked up in store and paid for at the checkout. 

The donated food is passed to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, who will distribute it to charities and food banks to help those who need it most.

Research by Tesco also found that a tenth [11%] of parents in the region plan to forego their own meals in order to make sure their children are fed.

During previous holidays, one in ten of families [10%] across the region had to seek support from a food bank or similar charity in order to put food on the table.

In an attempt to combat this, the supermarket will be running its popular Kids Eat Free initiative in its stores’ cafés during the school summer holidays.

The cafes offer one free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick ‘n’ Mix deal with each item bought by an adult from as little as 60p when showing their Tesco Clubcard or Clubcard App at the till.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: “Too often families with too little support during the holidays see their children miss out on the good stuff every child deserves – not just for their physical health but for their mental wellbeing as well. 

“If we all pull together over the coming months, whether that’s popping a few tins into a food collection point, picking up a food donation bag in our stores or rounding up our grocery bill, we can make a difference to the lives of thousands of children, who, without support, could have a tough summer holiday.”

Pressure on family finances this summer will also see children become less active and more isolated during school holidays, with 37%] of families in the region saying their children will miss out on clubs and activities during the holidays because of the cost.

In addition to the bill rounding up option, expanded food donation bags and Kids Eat Free programme, Tesco is also donating £1 million to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, whose vital work with charities, community groups and food banks across the country keeps children healthy and active. 

This financial support will provide a crucial extra boost for communities during the summer and comes on top of the more than two million meals that Tesco already redistributes via FareShare each and every month via its Community Food Connection.

Emma Revie, CEO at the Trussell Trust said: “We are extremely grateful to Tesco for their generous donation and are excited to partner with them to launch these in-store summer activities, making it easier for people to support their local food bank throughout the holidays.

“Our network of food banks distributed more than 1.1 million parcels for children last year, almost double the amount provided just five years ago and this illustrates the unacceptable levels of hardship that many people are currently facing. No-one should need to turn to a charity for something as essential as food, and as we work towards achieving the long-term change needed, Tesco’s support this summer will make a real difference to families across the UK.”

George Wright, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “During the school holidays, many families across the UK struggle without the regular access to school meals, leading them to turn to local groups for support. This results in a surge in food demand. With around three-quarters of the organisations we support providing food for children and families, the 8,500 charities FareShare supplies are under immense pressure.

“This generous donation from Tesco will ensure we continue providing vital support to charities that rely on FareShare food to strengthen their local communities this summer. Our surplus sourcing model means every £1 of the donation enables over £4 of nutritious food to support those in need. We are deeply grateful for Tesco’s continued commitment to our partnership.”

Launched in 2023, Tesco Stronger Starts is a £5million grant programme, in partnership with Groundwork UK, that boosts funds for extra food and activity equipment to give children across the UK a stronger start in life. The grants help schools and children’s groups provide nutritious food and healthy activities that support young people’s physical health and mental wellbeing, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and equipment for healthy activities.