A SUPERMARKET promotion has helped to boost the support given by the West Somerset Food Cupboard for families experiencing food poverty.

The charity saw a 50 per cent increase in donations over the school summer holidays thanks to pre-packed food donation bags being sold in Tesco’s Minehead store.

The bags, costing between £2 and £3, were pre-filled with healthy and nutritious long-life items and could be picked up by customers in-store and paid for at the checkout.

The donated food then went directly to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, who distributed it to the food cupboard to help families who needed it most.

A food cupboard spokesperson said Tesco’s ‘Pick a Bag for Your Local Food Bank’ campaign had been a huge success.

They said: “Thanks to generous supermarket donations, our shelves have been well stocked this summer.

“We are especially grateful to Tesco Minehead and FareShare, the charity that helps distribute food that would otherwise go to waste.

“Customers were able to pick up pre-prepared bags containing essential items, and because of this initiative run throughout the six-week school holidays we have seen a 50 per cent increase in donations, which is brilliant.”

The boost came at the same time as a £600 Asda Foodbank Fundamentals grant to help provide emergency food which helped to counter a 10 per cent increase in demand at a time when donations were down.

The spokesperson said: “Looking ahead to autumn and the Harvest Festival, we would like to remind everybody that this is a vital time for us.

“As many of us are pickling, preserving, and enjoying our own harvests at home, the food cupboard also needs to stock up in preparation for Christmas.

“If you are attending or involved in any Harvest Festival service, please help spread the word, we would be so grateful for any support we receive.”