Tesco scheme gives surplus food to charities

The Tabor Centre, in Weavers Park, Braintree, uses products from Tesco’s Community Food Connection scheme to provide hot meals for its service users every day.

The centre is open to adults with disabilities and provides them with an individualised care plan and access to carers, therapists, courses, activities and allows carers respite time.

Manager Anthea Cooper said: “Government funding provides us with about a fifth of what we need to keep the centre running, so costs have to be really carefully controlled.

“The Community Food Connection scheme has been a bit of a lifeline as it allows vital funds to be directed elsewhere into staffing or equipment.

“It also means we can provide more variety in meals, so dishes like hot, homemade soup can be put on the menu.

“I visit the Tesco store in Braintree each week to pick up food and we’ve developed a great relationship with the team there.”

The scheme sees Tesco donate unsold food to charities and community groups throughout the area.

As well as weekly food the store has also donated raffle prizes and food for a barbecue at the centre.

Alex Cook, manager at Tesco in Market Place, Braintree, said: “The Community Food Connection scheme really puts us in touch with the community and introduces us to fantastic charities like Tabor Centre, which we are very proud to support.

“Food that would previously have gone to waste is now doing really powerful and wonderful things in Braintree and we’re pleased to play our part in that.”

Since launching in February 2016, Tesco’s Community Food Connection has donated food to more than 7,000 charities and community groups.

Charity partners FareShare help run the scheme, which recruits and supports charities and community groups, linking them to Tesco stores through an app which allows store teams to alert them to surplus unsold food items available at the end of each day.

For more information visit tesco.com/community-food-connection.