Triple Christmas chart-topper and social media star LadBaby, aka Mark Hoyle, has launched this year’s Tesco Food Collection, urging shoppers in West Lothian to donate at their local store.
The LadBaby family’s charity singles have reached Christmas No.1 for three years running (2018, 2019 and 2020) - only the third act in UK history, after The Beatles and Spice Girls, to have three consecutive number ones.
Mark is keen to use his platform to raise awareness of poverty and to support food banks.
To mark the start of the collection in all large Tesco stores, Mark collected a trolley load of items at the Toton Extra store in Nottingham.
Donations will help food banks in the Trussell Trust network provide emergency food parcels to people in crisis and help food redistribution charity FareShare provide food to thousands of frontline charities and community groups.
Tesco is playing its part by topping up all customer donations by 20 per cent.
Filling his trolley LadBaby picked out items including tinned meat and fruit, which are among those most needed by the two charities this Christmas.
Mark said: “Everyone deserves to have an amazing Christmas, but unfortunately, a lot of people will have real problems affording the essentials for their families this year. When we released our first charity single back in 2018 there was a huge need for food banks and that need is growing rapidly.
“No-one should have to go to bed hungry, but today far too many do.
“It’s devastating and we all need to pull together and do what we can to help.
“A donation to the Tesco Food Collection is a really easy way of helping food banks and local groups supporting people in West Lothian facing hardship this winter. By putting an extra tin in your basket to donate at the end of your shop you could really be helping someone out.”
Both FareShare and the Trussell Trust know how important the donations will be this year.
“The items we receive through the Tesco Food Collection are absolutely vital to FareShare,” said Lynne Collie, senior manager – Enterprise (Good Food) and Employability at CYRENIANS FareShare Central and South East Scotland.
“Please consider adding an extra tin of tuna or a bag of pasta to your basket at Tesco this weekend – generous donations from customers will ensure we’re able to continue providing much needed long life food this Christmas to a huge range of organisations supporting people in their communities; from homeless shelters and domestic violence refuges to food banks, schools and pantries.”
Trussell Trust chief executive, Emma Revie, added: “Every year, we are amazed by the generosity of Tesco customers in West Lothian who donate to the annual Food Collection. For many people, the winter period can be extremely challenging with many families facing impossible decisions – like whether to switch on the heating or put food on the table – so once again we are urging shoppers to give generously and make a difference to people who need our support over the festive period.
“No one in West Lothian should be facing hunger. However, while we work to tackle the reasons why people don’t have enough money for the essentials, any donations of our most-needed items will be invaluable.”
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