The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity which supports the UK’s largest network of food banks while also working towards a future without the need for food banks. Together, the Trussell Trust is more than 1,400 local food bank centres across the UK, providing practical support for people who don’t have enough money for the things we all need in life. Their network of food banks is supported by almost 12,000 churches, as well as many community groups, local businesses, schools and over 30,000 dedicated volunteers. 

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

We have committed to distribute an initial 2m GB of data through the Trussell Trust 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 item donated through the Tesco Food collection (1-3 December 2022), we are giving someone a free byte too. 2m is the number of equivalent meals Tesco was hoping to collect through this Tesco Winter Food Collection, so we pledged 1GB for every equivalent meal.

We’re donating 1GB of data for every equivalent meal donated to the Tesco Winter Food Collection (1-3 December 2022), to encourage more food donations, at a time when the cost of living is driving more people to need food banks, and to raise awareness of the importance of connectivity as one of life's essentials.

‘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 Food Collection, held in partnership with the Trussell Trust and Fareshare, encourages Tesco customers to donate long-life food items over a three-day period, with the help of volunteers across the UK.

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.

The Trussell Trust 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 the Trussell Trust by donating your Clubcard points here or supporting their Emergency Appeal here.

The Trussell Trust is celebrating a 10-year relationship with Tesco in their joint efforts to ensure our communities are free from hunger, and now Tesco Mobile will be partnering with the Trussell Trust to keep people facing hardship connected. Our initial partnership will last until the end of 2023.

Whilst the cost-of-living crisis is impacting all of us, for people on the lowest incomes, it’s simply impossible. As the price of essentials continues to soar, families are being increasingly caught between keeping themselves fed, warm or online. This simply isn't right. People need food banks when they don’t have enough money for life's essentials, whether that's food, heating or connectivity.  

The data will be distributed from January 2023 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 the Trussell Trust food bank will be distributed by the food bank network, at their own discretion. The Little Helps Databank distribution will not be limited to any specific food banks in the Trussell Trust network.  

Tesco Mobile is proud of our positive impact to date through the Reconnects programme, Crisis charity partnership and Little Helps scheme, that have helped over 36,000 people and 4,000 charities since 2020. The partnership between Tesco Mobile and Crisis was a huge success, with Crisis members receiving over £941,000 worth of devices, data and connectivity across the two-year partnership.  To date we have donated over £3m worth of devices and connectivity, and have launched a new commitment to help connect another 50,000 people by 2025.