New research reveals two thirds more people are expected to turn to food banks this Christmas, with advent calendars, mince pies, tinned fruit, juice and cereal being the products most needed by food banks. Festive versions of Morrisons popular ‘Pick Up Packs’ will make it easier for customers to donate key food items.
Morrisons is today announcing a drive to restock the nation’s food banks, after research conducted by The Trussell Trust found that two thirds more people are expected to need their help this year compared to last year.
The charity has forecast a 61% increase in food parcels needed this winter, compared to last year, as more people struggle with the economic fallout of COVID-19.*
After working with food banks across the country, Morrisons has determined the items most needed in the run up to Christmas are tinned fruit, long life juice and cereal. These top a wider priority containing seasonal items such as advent calendars, tinned meat and fish, puddings, biscuits, cooking sauces, tea and coffee, toiletries and sanitary protection.**
Morrisons Community Champions have also been listening to their local food banks and will be making it easier for customers to donate the items really needed this Christmas with the introduction of ‘Food Bank Priority Item’ signs in all stores. The signage will feature adjacent to products that are most needed by food banks in each local area, and be updated regularly.
Throughout December, customers will also be able to buy a festive version of Morrisons’ popular ‘Pick Up Packs’ – pre-packed bags of specific groceries that food banks have advised will be most needed in their locality.***
They will include some Christmas items and cost up to £4. Customers can pick up a pack on their way into the store, pay for the items at the till, and then place the bag in a dedicated donation
station, which will then be collected by local food bank volunteers.
In addition, Morrisons has introduced Toy Donation Stations where customers can
donate a new toy. Donated items are passed on to a local good causes and charities
in the local community.
Rebecca Singleton, Community Director at Morrisons, said:
“We have worked with food banks across the UK to identify the key items that are most needed by the vulnerable in our communities. The UK’s food banks are a lifeline for many people and we want to make it easier for customers to donate so that no one is left behind this Christmas.”
The ‘Priority Food Bank Item’ signs and ‘Pick Up Packs’ follow the £10 million donation that Morrisons made to food banks earlier in the pandemic, as well as the donation of McVities Biscuits from its ‘Buy One, Donate One’ campaign. The initiatives are part of Morrisons drive to restock Britain’s food banks and continue feeding the nation. Along with the Toy Donation Stations, they will feature in all 496 Morrisons stores until the 24th December.
*Source: Lockdown, lifelines and the long haul ahead: The impact of Covid-19 on food banks in the Trussell Trust network. November 2020
**Morrisons surveyed 25 food banks across the Trussell Trust’s network that it works with currently. Specific requirements may vary depending on the individual food bank.
***Morrisons festive pick up packs are available in stores from 2nd December. Their regular pick up packs are available in stores now.