Ashton supermarket teams up with Tameside East Foodbank

Ashton's Asda supermarket has teamed up with a local foodbank to collect food to help the area's most vulnerable people through the Covid-19 crisis.

Staff at the Cavendish Street store have helped launched the drive to collect food donations, as part of a nationwide drive by the supermarket chain.

Shoppers will be able to donate much-needed supplies, which will go to Tameside East Foodbank, when they are doing their shopping at dedicated in-store collection points.

The food drive throughout July is aimed to help meet the increased demand that foodbanks have faced during the pandemic.

This year, for the first time, the retailer has introduced signposts across the shelves to help highlight the most in-demand items needed by the local foodbank.

The initiative is part of Asda's Fight Hunger Create Change programme, working in partnership with foodbank charity The Trussell Trust and food redistribution charity FareShare, to invest at least £20 million to try to lift one million people in the UK out of food poverty.

Locally, the initiative is being led by Asda’s in-store community staff, who have been working closely with Tameside East foodbank to ensure they receive donations of the items that make the most difference.

Colette Regan, Community Champion at Asda Ashton, said: "We’re always overwhelmed by the sheer volume of donations our generous customers and colleagues make, not just through initiatives like this food drive, but throughout the year as they continue to donate to our permanent collection points in store.

"These donations will make a huge difference to the local community, as well as on a larger scale as we continue to help people out of poverty." 

Earlier this year, Asda donated an additional £5 million to its partners FareShare and the Trussell Trust to help the country’s most vulnerable people through Covid-19.

The donation has been split between the two charities and is helping to provide over four million meals to families who are experiencing poverty, as well as giving more than 3,000 charities the ability to access free food to help tackle the impacts of coronavirus in their communities.

Main image: 

Community champion Colette next to the foodbank trolley and totalizer at Asda Ashton.