FAMILIES in crisis in Middlewich have received more food donations, thanks to the Community Food Connection scheme at Jack’s.

As part of the initiative, Jack’s discount supermarket in Middlewich, part of the Tesco family, has contributed towards the 62,000 meals that have been donated to local charities during the supermarket’s first year of trading.

The scheme, managed by charity FareShare, links Jack’s with local charities and community groups, allowing the supermarket off Wheelock Street to redistribute surplus food that’s left over at the end of the day to ensure it’s not going to waste.

Jack’s store manager uses an app to let local foodbanks know how much surplus food they expect to have for donation and charities then respond to confirm they will come to collect it.

Darren Preston, store manager at Jack’s Middlewich, said: “We launched the Community Food Collection scheme to reduce food waste and help those who might be struggling to make ends meet.

“We are delighted that the initiative has been so successful and we’ve managed to help so many people throughout the year.

"We hope to build on this in 2020 through our partnership with FareShare and continue to support our local community in Middlewich.”

Throughout 2019, Jack’s donated enough food to provide 62,310 meals to people needing a helping hand across the UK.

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FareShare chief executive Lindsay Boswell, said: “The food that Jack’s donates makes a really big difference to local charities and communities across the UK.

“We are proud to have been able to work with Jack’s and Tesco to create this pioneering scheme, which is the biggest of its kind in the UK.

"We hope that by celebrating this milestone with Tesco and Jack’s colleagues and customers, we can reach out to even more charities and community groups so that they can receive the free surplus food that the stores are able to offer.”