Volunteers wanted to help feed Rotherham’s needy

Rotherham Foodbank has teamed up with Tesco for a three-day appeal at the supermarket’s branches in Wath and Rotherham.

Foodbank manager Danny Miller appealed for anyone who could spare a couple of hours on Friday or Saturday between 10am and 5pm to get in touch.

“Volunteers are needed to help with the Christmas collection where all food donated will go toward families in Rotherham this Christmas.

“The need is great in this town, particularly with child poverty as we discovered last year of many young children without even one single Christmas present.

“The Foodbank is looking to tackle this issue by providing Christmas gifts to as many children as possible in Rotherham whose families use the foodbank this Christmas.

“If you would like to put your name down for one of these stores at a particular time slot, please email me at [email protected] and we will send you further details.

“If you are unable to help on either of these days, but would like to support then you are able to support by donating food or Christmas gifts at our Foodbank Box in Morrison's Bramley, or Parkgate,or at the entrance of the new Foodbank Centre in Grove Road.”

This Christmas, Tesco will be running their third Neighbourhood Food Collection in a bid to collect ten million meals for those in need by the end of the year.

Customers at Tesco in Rotherham will be invited to donate food in store from

Friday until Sunday 1st December.

Customers at the Rotherham Centre and Wath Tesco will be given a special selected shopping list when they enter the store and will be asked to pick up an item of food such as long-life milk, cereal, tinned foods and tea and coffee before donating it at the end of their shop.

Collection boxes are also available in the local Tesco Express stores in Moorgate Road, and East Bawtry Road.

The food will be distributed to Rotherham Foodbank before being given to local families in times of crisis over Christmas.

Mr added: “Winter is the hardest time of year for people living in poverty, and this Christmas is looking especially tough as fuel prices continue to rise.

“We’re delighted that Tesco are working with us to help stop local people going hungry this Christmas, and we hope that many people will donate a tin or two.”

A spokeswoman for Tesco said: “In the run up to Christmas, we want to do our bit to feed those in need and volunteers from Rotherham Foodbank are really looking forward to taking part in the collection.”

Tesco will be topping up total donations by 30 per cent.