TWO charities providing vital food to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic are urgently appealin for Southampton volunteers to help this Christmas.

FareShare and the Trussell Trust will be collecting food in Tesco stores during the annual pre-Christmas Tesco Food Collection from November 19 to 21.

The need for food to help Southampton food banks and community groups supported by the two charities is more vital than ever this year because of the pressures caused by coronavirus.

FareShare is looking for people to volunteer at donation points in store, while the Trussell Trust is looking for social media volunteers to share shopping lists on social media to encourage people to donate.

Sophie Greaves, South East Area Manager at the Trussell Trust, said: “A crisis can often bring out the best in people, and we have been overwhelmed by the support the UK has shown towards food banks in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

“As we look to the one of the busiest times of the year for food banks in our network, we would be so grateful if people can share shopping lists of their local food bank’s most-needed items on their social media to encourage friends and family to donate. Together we can make a difference and ensure that food banks are able to help people in crisis this winter.”

During the collection, Southampton customers are encouraged to donate long-life food to help food banks and community groups support people this Christmas.

Tesco will top up customer donations by 20 per cent in cash to aid the two charities in their work.

Last year, 3 million meals were collected as part of the Tesco Food Collection, and since its launch in 2012 more than 76 million meals have been donated to the two charities by generous Tesco customers.

Southampton volunteers are needed to encourage shoppers to leave their donations in the collection point at the front of stores, with shoppers more likely to donate if volunteers are present.

Volunteers will need to adhere to the Covid-19 rules in place in the store and locally when they participate. People interested in volunteering can find out more and sign up at fareshare.org.uk/foodcollection.