Volunteers are being sought for a charity drive which will spread some festive cheer to people in need.

Leading food charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust are recruiting a small army of helpers to lend a hand at donation points in Tesco stores from Thursday, November 29, to Saturday, December 1.

As part of the annual Tesco Food Collection, customers will be encouraged to donate long-life food which can be distributed to those who are struggling to get by.

Tesco will top up customer donations by 20 per cent.

Last year, more than three million meals were collected nationwide during the Tesco Food Collection.

And since the launch in 2012, more than 49 million meals have been donated to the two charities by generous Tesco customers.

To make this year’s collection a success, volunteers are needed to hand out shopping lists to customers, so they can see the food items needed by community groups in their area.

Emma Revie, chief executive of The Trussell Trust, said: “Foodbanks across the country will be doing all they can to provide emergency support so people don’t go hungry this Christmas but, to make sure everyone referred receives vital help, our network needs support.

“The more people volunteering with foodbanks at the Tesco Food Collection, the more food will be collected from generous shoppers and the better prepared foodbanks will be for their busiest time of year.”

Lindsay Boswell, of FareShare, added: “If you can spare a few hours to volunteer in your local store, please do – and please encourage your friends, family and colleagues to get involved as well.”

To offer your services as a volunteer, visit https://fareshare.org.uk/tescofoodcollection/shift-signup.