Tesco's Summer Support for Children and Families Facing Hunger

Tesco is providing extra help to support Blackpool children and their families this summer, as part of its Stronger Starts programme. The supermarket giant is launching initiatives to support families who would normally receive free school meals during term time. According to research, nearly a third of families with children reported sometimes or often being unable to afford balanced meals in the previous month. One in four children under the age of five are at risk of needing to use a food bank, and last summer, one in 12 respondents said that in the past their children have had to miss meals due to financial constraints.

Key Takeaways:

• Tesco's Stronger Starts programme is supporting Blackpool children and their families this summer with initiatives such as pre-filled food donation bags, grants for schools providing food and activities, and the opportunity to round up bills at the checkout.
• 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, one in 12 respondents said that in the past their children have had to miss meals due to financial constraints.
• Tesco will sell pre-packed food donation bags in all large stores, with the donated food going directly to FareShare and Trussell.
• Schools are running holiday breakfast and lunch clubs to tackle the lack of free school meals and keep pupils fed and active, with Tesco supporting them by giving £200 gift cards to all 400 schools that are part of its term-time Fruit and Veg for Schools programme.
• 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 FareShare programme aims to provide around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables to schools over a school year, equivalent to 110 portions per child on average.
• Tesco will also be running its Kids Eat Free scheme in its 317 cafés 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.
• One in four children under the age of five are at risk of needing to use a food bank.
• Last summer, 143,000 children were supported by Trussell food banks.
• 391,000 people were supported by Trussell food banks last summer, with the charity expecting to see continued high levels of need this summer.
• Tesco shoppers donated just over £500,000 last year through the Round Up at the Till scheme.

Sources:

• Trussell: Research from Trussell (1)
• Tesco: Additional research from Tesco (3)
• FareShare: Kris Gibbon-Walsh, CEO at FareShare (4)
• Trussell: Emma Revie, CEO at Trussell (2)
• Tesco: Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco (5)