Tesco is urging customers in Oxfordshire to help families experiencing difficulty by purchasing pre-packed food donation bags during the Easter break.

Known as Easter Holiday Helps, the scheme runs from March 30 until April 12 at all main Tesco branches in Oxfordshire. It focuses on households that usually rely on complimentary school meals during term time but encounter problems accessing food when classes are not in session.

The donation packs, priced between £2 and £5, contain non-perishable groceries and everyday essentials. Shoppers can simply add them to their basket at the till.

All funds collected will be passed to FareShare and The Felix Project and The Trussell Trust, which focus on redistributing food supplies to those experiencing food poverty.

Claire De Silva, Tesco’s head of communities, said school breaks create significant challenges for Oxfordshire households that lose access to their free school meals, making it difficult to ensure children receive healthy, nourishing food. She said these pre-packed donation bags will provide essential food supplies to FareShare and The Felix Project and Trussell, helping to improve the lives of children and their families during the holiday period.

Figures from The Trussell Trust reveal that foodbank usage remains 45 per cent higher than 2019 levels, with a food parcel distributed every 12 seconds throughout 2025.

Roughly 62 per cent of these parcels are destined for families with children.

FareShare and The Felix Project recently merged to become the country’s biggest food redistribution organisation, supplying edible surplus food to more than 8,000 charitable organisations and community groups, with 83 per cent of these helping families with children.

Tesco continues supporting these charities by dispatching unsold food from all Oxfordshire stores via its Community Food Connection programme.

Shoppers may also give the value of their Clubcard vouchers to either FareShare and The Felix Project or Trussell through the retailer’s website.

Matthew van Duyvenbode, co-CEO at Trussell, said Tesco’s Easter pre-packed donation bags provide a simple way for people to assist children and families in their communities. He said no one should have to go hungry and these additional contributions are vital in helping more families afford meals. He said Tesco has continued to show its commitment. He said they sincerely thank Tesco customers for their support and are very appreciative.

Although shoppers may donate any durable food products, the charities have specific requirements for tinned meat and fish, long-life fruit juice, cooking and pasta sauces, tinned vegetables, plus canned and dried soup.

Additional useful donations comprise pasta, rice and noodles, cereal and porridge, tea and coffee, sponge or rice pudding, and UHT and powdered milk.