AROUND three tonnes of food has been donated to a collection organised by Tesco in Alloa.

Over the three day event, from Thursday, June 30 to Saturday, July 2, customers and colleagues gave generously.

The collection was manned by volunteers from The Gate Charity and local MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh attended on Friday, July 1 to lend her support.

It marked the eighth National Food Collection, which has been running running twice a year since 2012, and to date they have helped donate the equivalent of 30 million meals to individuals and families in crisis

Once again, Tesco joined forces with food charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust to ensure the collection be widespread, allowing all stores and customers to take part. 

Both organisations have the network and expertise to support the large volume of items collected. 

All the food donated during the Alloa event will remain in Clackmannanshire and will be distributed by The Gate.

The food collection not only assists charities to provide those in need with emergency food, they also support other organisations who administer essential services such as drug rehabilitation, debt advice and refuge shelters. 

The store's community champion, Melanie Mitchell, said: "It's fantastic to see how the whole community comes together to support those in need.

"In just three days our colleagues and customers have donated approximately three tonnes of food, all of which will remain in the local area where it is much needed."

Since 2013, Tesco has donated all the surplus fresh food from distribution and online grocery centres to FareShare which, along with the customer donations from the national food collection and permanent collection points, has led to over four million additional meals being donated. 

Every week nearly 150,000 people eat a meal that has been provided by FareShare.

Since April 2016, all the usable food that would previously have been thrown away in the local store is now donated to charity and community groups in the county – to date this has provided the approximate equivalent of 350 meals. 

This is in addition to the permanent collection point where the food donated throughout the year goes directly to The Gate, which in the first half of this year has collected 2.25 tonnes of food. 

Tesco also provides a 20 per cent top-up on everything donated in the food collections to FareShare and The Trussell Trust. 

This is done as a cash payment to ensure that the associated costs of storing and delivering the food does not impact negatively on the partners.

Future collections are already planned with another due to run from Thursday, December To Saturday, December 3.

A school clothing bank collection will also run from Thursday, July 21 to Saturday, July 23 where customers can donate new and good condition school clothing, shoes, school bags and stationery items.