AN EVESHAM school has been able to increase the level of care it provides after signing up to Tesco’s Community Food Connection scheme.
St Egwin’s CE Middle School has signed up to the scheme, run in partnership with food charity FareShare, which pairs Tesco stores with local charities and community groups by alerting them to available unsold food via a mobile app.
This food can then be collected by charities and supplied to people in need, ensuring no good food goes to waste.
Teacher Laura Keogh said: “Thanks to the fresh fruit and vegetables and baked goods from Community Food Connection, we’ve been able to make our breakfast club free to all students. Now we’ve grown from having three to four pupils coming for breakfast to more than 30.
“We run a food technology lessons as well as a cook and dine club after school on Tuesday, where children learn to cook and eat a meal together. We also send home food parcels regularly to families that need extra support.”
The school picks up food from Tesco stores in Studley and Alcester on Thursday and Friday mornings.
“We want to run parent cooking workshops using the food provided to support families with reducing waste and cooking on a budget,” Mrs Keogh said.
“We’re also hoping to host some events where we invite vulnerable people in the community, including homeless and disabled people and pensioners, into our school for a meal cooked and served by our pupils.”
Nicki MacKay, Community Food Connection Coach for Tesco, said: “The work St. Egwin’s undertakes in the community is nothing short of remarkable. The number of pupils and parents they have already helped through their outreach programme is fantastic and everyone at Tesco is delighted to work with the group to help provide better care to more vulnerable people in the area.”
Since launching in February 2016, Tesco’s Community Food Connection has donated surplus food to over 7,000 local charities and community groups.
Visit www.fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-foodcloud to register.
