A RECORD amount of food donations has helped The Midcounties Co-operative collect enough items to support more than 230 families living in poverty in the Cotswolds in the last year.

Shoppers, members and colleagues in the region donated more than 9,000 food items, an increase of over 50% on donations made in the region in 2017.

The collections at stores in the Cotswolds have contributed towards the society donating a milestone 100,000 items to food banks across the country over the past year, 30% more than in 2017. Through these sustained efforts, The Midcounties Co-operative has been able to help around 2,500 families living in poverty in the UK.

To achieve this, Midcounties joined forces with The Trussell Trust to support its network of food banks in the area and reached out to a number of other local groups to provide supplies throughout the year.

Samantha Stapley, Director of Operations at The Trussell Trust, said: “We’re very grateful for the support The Midcounties Co-operative has given to food banks in The Cotswolds.

“It’s only with the generous support of people and businesses in local communities that we’re able to work with our network to ensure emergency food and help are available, while at the same time challenging why people are being thrown into crisis in the first place.”

Adam Quinton, Regional Communities Ambassador for The Cotswolds at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “The efforts of our colleagues and shoppers in the Cotswolds have helped us to make a huge difference to groups in need of support across the region.

“We will continue to work with charities and foodbanks in the local community, and with the help of our customers, will strive to provide even more food donations in 2019.”