TESCO customers in west Wales have donated more than 30,000 meals for charity this Christmas

Working with charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust, the food collection drive will help those in need.

Tesco asked its customers to donate long-life items to help people as part of their usual shop, and they proved even more generous than ever.

Since the Tesco Food Collection scheme began in 2012, more than 52 million meals have been donated.

The food donated to foodbanks in The Trussell Trust’s network is given in emergency food parcels to people referred because they cannot afford to feed themselves and their families.

Food donated to FareShare is distributed to charities and community groups who use it to provide meals for vulnerable groups such as isolated older people and those in homeless shelters.

Lindsay Boswell of FareShare said: “The food donated at the Tesco Food Collection will make a tremendous difference to the thousands of charities and community groups that FareShare supports.

“Thanks to the generosity of Tesco shoppers over the festive season, we have enough long-life food to provide meals to those helping people in need across the UK."

Emma Revie of The Trussell Trust said: “Our foodbank network has spent the last month making sure that people referred to them with no money for food don’t go hungry this Christmas.

"This work has been made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of Tesco customers, store colleagues and volunteers during the Food Collection.

"Thank you for your support - your generosity has stopped hunger this Christmas.”