42 local food banks across Lincolnshire, and parts of Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, and South Yorkshire, are set to receive vital funding, thanks to Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Champions scheme.
From 8th March to 5th September, a donation will be made each time a member shops with their dividend card.
Customers can also donate change when shopping in store, and colleagues and partners will be running food bank drives and other fundraising activities.
During the same period in 2025, the scheme saw over £242,000 raised for local Macmillan Cancer Support services, so the impact of this fundraising is anticipated to be significant.
According to Trussell Trust, food insecurity is a growing issue across the UK; in 2024, 16% of households faced food insecurity, rising from 12% in 2022.
This means that at some point in the previous year, these households ran out of food and couldn’t afford more, and reduced the size of their meals, ate less, went hungry or lost weight, due to lack of money.
As well as providing emergency food and hygiene supplies, many food banks offer additional avenues of support.
One food bank selected as a Community Champion is Holbeach Community Larder, which also operates a community shop, provides easy access to social subscribers, and signposts to other valuable services in the local area.
Wanda Adams-Stevens, Manager at Holbeach Community Larder, said: “People come to us for a variety of reasons; perhaps they’ve encountered an unexpected bill, or they’re struggling to manage debt.
“We’ve helped retirees, families, working people; anyone could fall into these circumstances, sometimes it only takes one thing to go wrong – like the washing machine breaking, or a hefty car bill.
“For many people, receiving our help can feel quite overwhelming, and there have certainly been some tears along the way! I think it’s a feeling of relief for many people, knowing that they’ve been given a lifeline.”
All year round, each Lincolnshire Co-op food store has a donation bin for its local food store, and a list of ‘most wanted items’ is displayed alongside it.
By contacting their local Community Co-ordinator, groups can have the lists updated, maximising the impact of donations.
Mary Leggett, Senior Community Co-ordinator at Lincolnshire Co-op, said: “As well as raising funds and encouraging more donations into food stores, our Community Champions campaign aims to raise awareness of the services that food banks provide and break down societal stigmas.
“Statistics show how many people need food bank support, and in a recent internal survey, many colleagues expressed that they would like to see food banks supported by Community Champions, so we know this is a cause close to many people.
“There will be lots of opportunities to get involved, and we are so excited to see our community come together once again for a great cause.”
