SHOPPERS in Teignbridge will be able to help families in need this Easter thanks to an initiative at Tesco.

The superstore in Kingsteignton will be providing pre-packed donation bags for customers to buy as part of its Easter Easter Holiday Helps.

Shoppers can pick up a bag to put through the checkout to support families facing financial difficulties during the school holidays.

The popular donation bags pre-packed with healthy long-life food items will be available in Tesco’s Kingsteignton Superstore during the Easter break between April 7 and 20 to make donating the most-needed items easier.

According to charities Fareshare and Trussell, the most needed items are: UHT and powered milk, tinned meat and fish, long-life fruit juice, cooking/pasta sauces, tinned vegetables, tinned and dried soup, pasta, rice and noodles, cereal and porridge, tea and coffee, and sponge/rice pudding.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco, said: ‘With the lack of free school meal provision during the holidays, we know families find it difficult to make ends meet and give their kids nutritious meals.

‘Our pre-packed donation bags will give a much-needed top-up to food charities FareShare and Trussell and make a difference to the lives of thousands of children and their families.’

Tesco partners with the charity Trussell, whose food banks support Teignbridge families year-round with nearly two-thirds of its support last year provided to families with children.

It has seen the number of emergency food parcels increase by 94per cent over the past five years.

Another Tesco partner, FareShare, is the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, providing good-to-eat surplus food to a wide range of charities and community groups.

Tesco also supports FareShare and other community groups by redistributing unsold food from all its Teignbridge stores as part of its Community Food Connection programme.

Customers can also donate the value of their Clubcard vouchers to either FareShare or Trussell online.