Tesco Announces Extra Support for Children and Families Facing Hunger Over School Holidays

Strategic Insights -

Tesco's initiatives, including selling pre-filled food donation bags and supporting schools with grants for food and activities, aim to tackle the critical need to support children who would normally receive free school meals during term time and are therefore at risk of missing meals during the holiday period. According to research from Trussell, nearly a third (32%) of families with children reported sometimes or often being unable to afford balanced meals in the previous month. Furthermore, one in four children under the age of five are at risk of needing to use a food bank. Tesco's support will help alleviate this issue, providing a vital lifeline for families in need.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tesco will sell pre-filled food donation bags in all large stores, with the donated food going directly to FareShare and Trussell, who will distribute it to charities and food banks to help families who need it most across the UK.
  • The pre-filled donation bags typically cost between £2 and £3 and can be picked up in store and paid for at the checkout.
  • Last summer, Trussell food banks supported 391,000 people with emergency food, with 143,000 of them being children, and the charity expects to see continued high levels of need this summer.
  • Tesco is supporting schools with grants for food and activities, providing £200 gift cards to all 400 schools that are part of its term-time Fruit and Veg for Schools programme.
  • Tesco's Fruit & Veg for Schools programme supports pupils in schools where there is a higher-than-average free school meal ratio, aiming to provide around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables over a school year, equivalent to 110 portions per child on average.
  • From 25th-31st August, customers will have the chance to round up their bill at the checkout to the nearest pound, with the funds being split between FareShare and Trussell to support their work over the summer.
  • Tesco's Kids Eat Free scheme will run in its 317 cafes across the UK over the school summer holidays, offering 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.

Statistics:

  • Nearly a third (32%) of families with children reported sometimes or often being unable to afford balanced meals in the previous month, according to research from Trussell.
  • One in four children under the age of five are at risk of needing to use a food bank.
  • Last summer, Trussell food banks supported 391,000 people with emergency food, with 143,000 of them being children.
  • Tesco's Fruit & Veg for Schools programme aims to provide around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables over a school year, equivalent to 110 portions per child on average.
  • Last year, generous Tesco shoppers donated just over £500,000 through the round-up at the till scheme.

Sources:

  • Trussell:
  • Tesco:
  • FareShare:
  • Emma Revie, CEO at Trussell:
  • Kris Gibbon-Walsh, CEO at FareShare:
  • Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco: