TESCO customers can make a difference to the lives people facing hunger and hardship by donating long-life items this week.

This comes as stores in Ilkley are taking part in the 12th annual Tesco Winter Food Collection, with donated items going directly to the charities Trussell and FareShare.

Both charities expect to see extremely high demand for their services this winter, and the Food Collection provides vital extra donations.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO, said: “Our partners tell us they’ve seen even more families needing their help and they expect demand to increase this winter, so we’re encouraging Ilkley customers to donate whatever they can to our Winter Food Collection.

With frontline charities and foodbanks facing exceptionally high demand this year, pre-packed donation bags make it easy to make a big difference to someone else’s Christmas.

“We’ve boosted our ongoing support to FareShare and Trussell with a donation of £500,000 each this year to help them meet additional demand through the summer and winter holiday periods when family finances are facing the most strain.”

In response to this, Tesco is making its pre-packed customer donation bags available at even more stores in an effort to top the two million meals donated at last year’s collection.

All large stores already offer them during the supermarket’s Winter Food Collection, but this year 86 of the largest Express stores will also stock them to make donating even easier no matter where you shop.

The bags, which typically cost between £2 and £3, are pre-filled with healthy and nutritious long-life items and can be picked up by Ilkley customers in store and paid for at the checkout.

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

Tesco’s Winter Food Collection, runs in Express stores from November 25-30 and in large stores from November 28-30.

According to FareShare and Trussell are UHT and powered milk, the most-needed items tinned meat and fish, and sponge/rice pudding.

Emma Revie, Trussell Chief Executive, said: “Food banks are a last resort for people who’ve been left facing hunger and hardship. They’re a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard. But with so many people unable to afford the essentials right now, food banks are having to purchase record amounts of emergency food.”