SHOPPERS in Reading are being urged to help people in need this Christmas by donating food during the UK’s biggest food collection.

The Tesco Food Collection launched across the supermarket’s stores yesterday (November 19) with customers being invited to give long-life food to support the work of charities the Trussell Trust and FareShare, helping people who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families.

READ ALSO: Caversham charity, Medical Assistance Sierra Leone, launches suncream Christmas appeal supporting people with albinism.

The long-life food donated to food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network is given in emergency food parcels to people referred because they don’t have enough money coming in to cover essential costs.

Food donated to FareShare is distributed to charities and community groups who use it to provide meals for vulnerable groups such as isolated older people and those in homeless shelters.

Generous shoppers donated more than 3.5 million meals-worth of food during the Tesco Food Collection, last year.

READ ALSO: Reading charity's shelter for homeless open for whole of December.

This year, Tesco will be topping up the value of the customer donations by an additional 20 per cent to help the charities in their work.

Tesco’s Group Communications Director Christine Heffernan, who is volunteering with FareShare during the collection, urged customers to donate.

She said: “We know that the items that our customers donate can make a real difference to people who really need that little bit of extra help this year - whether it is in a food parcel for someone at a time of crisis, or a part of a hot meal which means that a vulnerable person does not feel lonely this Christmas.

“Both FareShare and the Trussell Trust do amazing work and we are proud to do our bit at Tesco by topping up the public donations to the Tesco Food Collection by 20 per cent.”

The Tesco Food Collection runs until Saturday November 23.

Look out for donation points at the front of Tesco stores throughout the UK and Northern Ireland.