As part of a national effort to make sure that food banks are fully stocked through the coronavirus crisis, a Morrisons store is donating its stock.
The Beccles branch of the supermarket will be running its bakeries and other food making sites run for an extra hour every day, while setting aside thousands of pounds worth of stock for local food banks.
Across the nation, the supermarket is setting aside more than £10 million of dedicated stock to go to food banks, while it also puts limits on the amount of products customers can buy to allow for more donations.
Sheryl Rumble, community champion at Morrisons Beccles, explained: “As a food maker and shopkeeper we are uniquely placed to help.
“We know food banks are finding life very difficult and running our manufacturing sites for an extra hour each day to help restock them is the right decision at this time. It’s more than our job.”
Morrisons, the UK’s largest fresh foodmaker, will be sending deliveries of ‘ambient’ foods, such as canned goods and pasta, to the Beccles branch which is specifically reserved to go to local food banks.
Mrs Rumble will be taking the food to food banks who need it most, ensuring that the most vulnerable people in our communities are not left suffering though the coronavirus crisis, as the supermarket notes “donations [for food banks] have dried up rapidly over the last two weeks and demand has increased.”
The store is also encouraging customers to donate what they can in store, by raising the purchase limit on certain items from three to four and removing some altogether.
The Beccles store will also have a new drop off point, pictured, where people can donate products to those in need, while a donation hub will collect these additional products for nearby foodbanks.
Some foodbanks in East Anglia have, due to increased demand from the coronavirus crisis, been forced to close.
Morrisons hopes by ensuring food banks have a regular supply of food, that no more food banks will need to close, and nobody will have to go without food.
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