Appeal to producers, wholesalers and stores to donate to Christmas collection
FOOD and drink producers, wholesalers and stores are being urged to make last-minute donations to a special Christmas appeal being run by Scottish Grocer and FareShare Scotland.
The Christmas Food Collection will be accepting produce from brands up until the end of Wednesday 18 December.
Businesses should contact Clare O’Keeffe, commercial officer for the surplus food redistribution charity in Scotland, to make arrangements. Her email address is clare.okeeffe@fareshare.org.uk.
She highlighted how the same campaign last year provided the equivalent of more than 11,000 meals, with donations distributed to charities and community groups across Scotland.
O’Keeffe said: “We’re encouraging organisations to get involved again this year, and support people and communities that are struggling during the Christmas period.”
FareShare Scotland currently redistributes food to more than 600 charities and community groups across all of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.
In the last year, the charity’s teams have managed to redistribute 4,100 tonnes of food – the equivalent of 9.75million meals – around Scotland.
FareShare Scotland’s support is delivered by working with four network partners across different areas in Scotland.
They are Move On for Glasgow and the west of Scotland; Cyrenians for central and south-east Scotland; Transform for Tayside and Fife; and CFINE for Grampian and the Highlands.
Members of staff at Scottish Grocer publisher Peebles Media Group have also been doing their bit by making generous donations to the Christmas Food Appeal.
Appealing to producers, wholesalers and stores to help, Scottish Grocer assistant advertising manager Stephen Connelly said: “It’s important to acknowledge that this can be a challenging time for many families, who may find it difficult to put food on the table or enjoy the simple pleasures that we often take for granted.
“Your generous stock contribution could make a world of difference to those in need.”
