Co-op Food customers in Scotland have contributed an astonishing 179 stone of dry food to a local foodbank – the weight of an entire football team.
The store, on Macaulay Road, Stornoway, received the donations for the Eilean Siar Foodbank, which aims to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
Manager Steven Cooper said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the generosity of our customers and can’t believe how much food they’ve donated.
“We’re very grateful to everyone who has contributed and hope that it goes some small way into helping those that need it most.”
Co-op Food Stornoway gives 1% of the profits from its own-brand product sales to charity, and last year it raised £5,000 for good causes through its carrier bag charge.
Over 90% of donations made to Eilean Siar Foodbank come from the public, are sorted by volunteers and distributed on the basis of referrals by professional agencies and voluntary organisations.
A major report released earlier this year showed that foodbank use in Scotland is “disproportionately higher” than in any other part of the UK – and still increasing. Scotland is second only to north-west England in the number of referrals received.
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