CHARITIES in Middlewich are benefiting from a national scheme by a major retailer.

The Tesco Food Connection Scheme aims to ensure that surplus food from stores can be redistributed for the benefit of community groups and charities.

They are trying to stop food waste as at the moment one in nine people go to bed hungry and 33 per cent of global food produced is wasted.

Middlewich Tesco is one of the stores running the scheme and charities in the area are already benefitting from it.

New Middlewich Mayor Bill Walmsley is in full support of the scheme.

Carol Halpin, spokesperson for Changing Lives Cheshire, said: “I would like to stress just how much the contribution from Tesco Fareshare means to our volunteers, most of whom are on very low income and who could not afford to participate in volunteering without it.”

Beryl Houghton, manager of Mid Cheshire MIND, said: “For the past 22 months we have been receiving a variety of food, fruit and vegetables through the Tesco/Fareshare scheme which is aimed at relieving food poverty and food waste in the UK and rescuing good quality surplus food.

“We have found the staff at Tesco helpful and friendly and we were pleased when staff came to visit the centre to see how successful the scheme has been.”

Judith Moore, support worker in MoCoCo House, said: “For the last year or so we have been using Tesco food fair share.

“This supply of food is very useful for the young people that live here as an extra source of fruit, vegetables.

“Both the staff and the people who live here greatly appreciate the food share.”

Lesley Birchall, community champion at Middlewich Tesco, said: “I think it's a very good scheme that is helping charities and groups in our area."