Hucknall shoppers help the Co-op create 50,000 free meals for kids

This has enabled the group to produce more than 50,000 meals for children at risk of going hungry after the Co-op’s food bank partners saw a rise in demand from families who saw the safety net of free school meals removed during the summer holidays.

The food was dropped off at special food bank collection points at more than 200 stores, including Hucknall, and then used to create special packed lunches for projects that tackle holiday hunger during the summertime and also meal parcels for families in need.

This means that, in total, the retailer has helped create 128,000 meals for those at risk of going hungry this summer.

The other 128,000 meals came as a result of a campaign which saw 10 per cent from the sale of Fairtrade bananas donated to FareShare Midlands.

A total of £32,000 was donated during July and August.

Hannah Gallimore, Central England Co-op corporate responsibility manager, said: “We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of our members and customers to ensure children do not go hungry every single summer with their phenomenal support for our food bank appeals.

“To have collected more than175,000 items and created meals for 50,000 children is an amazing achievement and, most importantly, will have had a major impact for these youngsters this year and hopefully for many more to come.

“We are proud to work with amazing food bank partners all year round and continue to urge our customers and members, if they can, to drop off an item or two into the special collection points in our stores to make sure vital support continues for people in need all year round.”

Items donated included shopping basket staples from tea, sugar and cereals to other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products.

Central England Co-operative has permanent food bank collection points in hundreds of its stores all year, which have resulted in thousands of people every month from Birmingham to Norfolk being given enough food to cook meals.