More than 234,952 meals have been provided to charities and community groups in Cornwall thanks to Tesco’s surplus food redistribution scheme, Community Food Connection.

Under the initiative, stores donate surplus food at the end of each day. In Cornwall meals have been donated to local groups including homeless shelters, community centres, breakfast clubs, and groups providing food to vulnerable older people.

Figures just released show the number of meals which have been donated by individual stores throughout the county. Top of the list is the store at Pool, which has donated 45,123 meals and further down the list is

Penzance with 22,706, Camborne with 15,545, Truro with 15,936, Falmouth with 10,040, Redruth with 6,451 and finally Helston with 4,687.,

The Community Food Connection programme is run in conjunction with FareShare and FoodCloud. Good causes are able to link up with local Tesco stores via an innovative app that allows store teams to alert them to surplus unsold food items available at the end of each day.

Not only does the scheme benefit the community groups involved, but it also prevents unsold food going to waste.

Tesco’s head of community Alec Brown said: “We know that Community Food Connection is making a real difference to communities throughout Cornwall by providing people in need with meals from food that would otherwise go to waste.

“Now that all of our stores are taking part in Community Food Connection there are more opportunities than ever for groups to benefit from the free food provided under the scheme. I would invite any group that thinks they could benefit from the scheme to contact FareShare, as we have the capacity to help even more good causes.”

Tesco and FareShare are calling on charities and community groups across Cornwall to register for the scheme, which sees food including fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables and bakery products, as well as chilled products like meat, cheese and ready meals, donated for free to groups that sign up.

If you are a charity or community group that could benefit from the support of Community Food Connection, visit http://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/fareshare-go-support/ to register.