Lytham charity partners with Tesco stores to ensure people don’t go without

The charity provides free surplus food from stores and makes it available to people in Lytham and the wider Lancashire area through the Larder, ensuring that families don’t go without.

The Larder receives food as part of the Community Food Connection surplus food scheme, which involves local Tesco stores and food surplus redistribution charity FareShare.

The Community Food Connection scheme ensures that surplus food from Tesco is given to charities and community groups, whose volunteer members then distribute it to the public. Across the UK it redistributes 2 million meals each month.

Paul Caddy, founder of the Larder at Church Road Methodists, said: “We have been collecting food from Tesco, which would otherwise have ended up in landfill for over the last seven years. What we pick up is used for two distinct operations.

“The first is an active cafe on the church premises whereby we can offer a safe and secure location for tea, coffee, and even hot lunches on some days. As you imagine it can get very busy indeed. There is no charge for this service but if anyone wishes to donate it is used to buy food etc.

“The second operation is our food distribution outlet, which we call ‘the Larder’. This is open Monday to Friday, and is where most of the food we pick up from Tesco is given out to the less fortunate in our community. Again, there is no cost for this service and by lunchtime all that we have picked up has been gratefully received.

“On behalf of our community, we want to say thank you to Tesco and FareShare for continuing to support us and helping us make sure no one in Lytham has to go hungry.”

Claire De Silva, Tesco Head of Community, said: “Working with community groups such as Church Road Methodists to help them get the food they need is such an important service for us to be able to provide. The dedication they have to their community is amazing, and we are pleased to do what we can to support.

“We firmly believe no good food should go to waste, which is why we began our Community Food Connection scheme. It enables us to ensure our surplus food is put to good use in communities.”

FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste. Two-thirds of the organisations it provides food to support children and families.

Katie Sadler, Head of FareShare Go, said: “The food that Tesco redistributes through FareShare makes a huge difference to people facing food insecurity across the UK.

“We work with thousands of charities and community groups providing essential support to their communities, and receiving a steady stream of food helps them to feed the people who need it most.”

Charities and community groups that could benefit from the support of the Community Food Connection scheme can find further information at https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/