// Morrisons pledges further £5m to keep Britian’s food banks stocked up through the pandemic
// Follows Morrisons £10m donation last year to support food banks struggling under the pressures and demand of the pandemic
// Morrisons’ Community Champions work with local food banks to help ensure their shelves are restocked
Morrisons has announced it will set aside a further £5 million of food supplies to help keep the nation’s food banks stocked up this year.
It comes after Morrisons’ network of Community Champions ensured £10 million of stock was delivered direct to food banks across the UK last year.
The grocery giant ran its bakery, egg and fruit & veg packing site for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food required to restock the food banks – with over two million eggs and over 300,000 loaves of bread distributed through Morrisons’ own manufacturing sites.
READ MORE: Morrisons to reduce food waste from own food-making operations
Morrisons also focused on the essential products food banks were calling out for, supplying one million packets of pasta, 1.5 million litres of long life milk and over 800,000 tins of beans to those in need.
Other treats to help bring joy to families included one million Easter Eggs and 50,000 packs of McVities Victoria Biscuits.
Food was then distributed locally through Morrisons’ network of local heroes – the community champions – who work closely with food banks on the ground to ensure they’re getting the vital stock that they need.
Food banks continue to play a vital role in the pandemic for many of the most vulnerable people in communities, with research by the Trussell Trust forecasting a 61 per cent increase in food parcels needed across its UK Network this winter – and six emergency food parcels given out every minute.
The £5 million donation by Morrisons will continue to distribute food to those most in need this year.
“As food banks continue to face the extremely challenging times they find themselves in, it is only right that we continue to play our full part at Morrisons in feeding the nation,” Morrisons chief executive David Potts said.
“As a business our priority remains to be kind and support those in society who find themselves struggling through this very difficult time; all of us working together means no-one need be left behind”.
Morrisons customers have also played their part throughout the pandemic, contributing over £180,000 to the Trussell Trust through Morrisons.com and donating hundreds of thousands of products in store through the Morrisons Pick Up Packs.
A scheme where customers can select a small paper bag filled with a number of items needed specifically by their local food bank labelled with a price at the front of store, pay for the items and drop off their bag on their way out.
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