Connecting communities

Trussell is an anti-poverty charity and community of food banks. They work together to ensure no one in the UK needs a food bank to survive, while providing emergency food and practical support for people left without enough money to live on. They are 1,400 food bank locations, supported by 36,000 volunteers, 12,000 churches, 100,000s of community groups and schools, and millions of people around the UK.

Through the Little Helps Databank, Tesco Mobile is donating data-loaded SIM cards to people referred to food banks in the Trussell’s community of food banks. We are also donating tablets, mobile Wi-Fi and SIM cards to food banks themselves, so that they can provide their services as efficiently as possible. 

In the third year running we have committed to distribute up to 2m GB of data through Trussell because connection is one of life’s essentials. Without it, people are locked out of life-changing services, held back from opportunities and cut off from loved ones. We’ve pledged a byte for a bite. So, for every meal donated through the Tesco Winter Food collection (28 – 30 November- 2024), we will give someone a free byte too. 2m is the number of equivalent meals Tesco is hoping to collect through this Tesco Winter Food Collection, so we've pledged 1GB for every equivalent meal.

We’re donating 1GB of data for every equivalent meal donated to the Tesco Winter Food Collection (28 -30 November 2024), to encourage more food donations, as more and more people are left with no other option but to turn to a food bank for support and to raise awareness of the importance of connectivity as one of life's essentials.

Digital inclusion is having access to, and being able to use, digital devices, such as computers, smart phones and the internet. In this age, digital connection is one of life’s essentials, because without it, people can be locked out of life-changing services, held back from opportunities and cut off from loved ones

‘Food donations’ is often expressed in the number of equivalent meals to help provide a sense of scale and a more relatable figure. Tesco uses a conversion factor of 420g of uncooked food = an average meal size, the equivalent to 1 meal, in line with the guidance from WRAP.

Typically, a 1GB data plan will allow you to browse the internet for around 11 hours, to send 16,000 emails without attachments or 300 with attachments, download 17 songs or watch 40 minutes of TV. Taken from Understanding data

The Tesco Winter Food Collection, held in partnership with the Trussell & FareShare, encourages Tesco customers to donate essential items over a three-day period, with the help of volunteers across the UK. In 2024, the Winter Food Collection is taking place from 25th -30th November.

To make your donation, just head to your local Tesco store, pick up an item or two from the list of your local food bank’s most needed items, and simply hand them to the volunteers or pop them in the collection point. Full details regarding the Tesco Food Collection can be found here.

Trussell has created a shopping list to help you choose which items to donate which will be available in stores during the collection. Check with your local food bank to see what is needed in your area specifically, and find other ways to support here.

In addition to the Tesco Food Collection events, you can drop off food item donations year round at the collection points available in all Tesco stores. You can also support Trussell by donating your Clubcard points here

Trussell is celebrating a 12-year relationship with Tesco in their joint efforts to ensure everyone in our communities have enough money for the essentials we all need in life , and Tesco Mobile is partnering 3rd year running with Trussell to keep people facing hardship connected.

Food banks in the Trussell’s community gave out a record 3.1 million emergency food parcels between April 2023 and  March 2024 - the most parcels ever distributed in a year and nearly double the number compared to five years ago.

Just like food, connection is essential. 1 in 6 people referred to the food banks in Trussell’s network have no access to the internet.

That’s why we continue to work toward helping digitally connect over 150,000 people facing hardship by the end of 2027 with our partner Trussell by donating data loaded SIMs to people referred to food banks.

The data will be distributed from January 2024 through SIM cards donated to local food banks, all registered charities or charitable organisations, which are part of the Trussell Trust network.  

The data that we donate through Trussell will be distributed by the food banks in the charity’s community, at their own discretion. The Little Helps Databank distribution will not be limited to any specific food banks in the Trussell’s community. 

Tesco Mobile is proud of our positive impact to date.  Since launch in 2020, our digital inclusion work has helped over 60,000 people with devices and connectivity and over 4000 charities through the Reconnects programme, Crisis charity partnership, Little Helps scheme and the Trussell Trust Partnership.

In 2023, within our first year of partnership with the Trussell Trust, so far we’ve donated over 15,000 Sim cards with 6 months free data. We also provided over 450 tablets and mobile connectivity  to help the food banks themselves provide their services as effectively as possible. 

To date we have donated over £1.5m worth of devices and connectivity help people who can’t afford life’s essentials stay connected.