Cornwall shoppers asked to give three hours to Tesco food drive

A few hours standing by a trolley at the supermarket door might not sound like much. But the charities behind the UK’s biggest food donation drive say it is one of the simplest ways to put more food on the shelves of food banks this winter.

Trussell and Felix are calling for volunteers to help at the Tesco Winter Food Collection, which runs in all large Tesco stores from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November.

Now in its 14th year, the collection gathers long-life food and other items for families, with food banks and food charities facing continued high levels of need.

Which Cornwall stores are taking part?

In Cornwall, the larger Tesco stores include Truro (Garras Wharf), Penzance (Branwell Lane), St Austell (Daniels Lane), Camborne (Wesley Street), Helston (Clodgey Lane), Launceston, Callington, Wadebridge and St Ives, plus Redruth Tolgus and the Tesco Extra at Pool.

Each store collects for either Trussell or Felix, so the quickest way to find a shift near you is the store map on each charity’s sign-up page (links below). If your nearest store isn’t on one map, it should be on the other.

Where the donations go

Donations to Trussell help its community of food banks provide emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford the essentials.

Donations to Felix (formerly FareShare and The Felix Project) support its network of more than 8,000 local charities and community groups that help to feed people in communities across the UK.

One in five Trussell food parcels comes from Tesco and its customers. And more than half of the charities in the Felix network have reported an increase in demand in the last year.

What volunteers do

Volunteers help out at the collection points in Tesco stores, raising awareness of the difference each donation makes to people who rely on Trussell and Felix for food.

Christine Heffernan, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Tesco, said: “The Winter Food Collection is a key moment in the Tesco calendar as part of our commitment to supporting families across the UK get access to food when they need it most.

“Last year, our generous customers donated almost 1.5m meals worth of food to the collection and, by volunteering a few hours of your time, you can help us increase donations allowing Felix and Trussell to get food to even more people facing a tough winter.”

“Every small action makes an incredible difference”

Matthew van Duyvenbode, co-chief executive officer at Trussell, said: “As temperatures drop and bills start to rise, more people will be forced to seek our food banks’ help. But with the support of Tesco, their customers and our incredible food collection volunteers, food banks can stay better stocked ready to support people facing hunger in their local communities.

“We urgently need you to play your part by getting involved in Tesco’s Food Collection, whether that’s through spreading the word, donating essential items or volunteering your time. Every small action makes an incredible difference. Thank you so much.”

Charlotte Hill, CEO at Felix, said food from the charity reaches more than 8,000 charities and community organisations across the UK, helping them provide food support alongside access to other vital services.

“At a time when demand for food support is growing and people are struggling with the cost of living, the Tesco Winter Food Collection is more important than ever,” Charlotte said.

“We know from experience that having volunteers present in store significantly increases the number of food items donated, and hope that more people than ever will generously give up their time this year. By volunteering just three hours, people can play an important part in our mission and help create lasting change in communities across the country.”

How to sign up

You can sign up to volunteer at your local Tesco store with Felix through the Felix Tesco Food Collection page, or with Trussell through the Trussell Tesco Food Collection page.

About Felix

Felix is the new name for the UK’s food redistribution network, founded in 2026 following the merger of The Felix Project and FareShare.

The charity rescues good-to-eat surplus food from across the food industry that cannot be sold and would otherwise go to waste. That food is shared with more than 8,000 community organisations across the UK, reaching over 1.5 million people. Felix manages seven depots and works with 16 network partners to run 35 depots across the UK.

FareShare was founded in 1994 by Sainsbury’s and Crisis to serve homeless shelters with food, and grew into the leading national redistribution charity through partnerships with major supermarkets including Tesco and Asda.

The Felix Project was started in 2016 by Justin and Jane Byam Shaw in memory of their son Felix, who died suddenly from meningitis aged just 14. It went on to become London’s largest food redistribution charity.