A Whiteinch charity has served a record four million meals to people in need – the equivalent of 1681 tonnes of food - during lockdown.

FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland, run by homelessness prevention charity Move On, says the demand for food donations has more than tripled during lockdown.

The organisation takes surplus food from right across the food industry and redistributes it to groups that support the most vulnerable, including children, the homeless, refugees and elderly people.

Through a network of charities and community groups, FareShare Glasgow and the West of the Scotland is able to provide food right across the region, from Dumfries and Galloway to Mull.

The charity estimates that since lockdown restrictions came into place, as many as 72,000 people are now accessing food provided by this FareShare branch each week.

Director of Operations, Jim Burns, said “Many more individuals and families are finding themselves in really difficult circumstances because of the lockdown restrictions, and demand for our food has risen steeply.

“We distributed a little over one million meal portions in the same period last year, so to see that number rise to four million really is staggering.

“We’re lucky to have an incredible team of volunteers who have gone above and beyond during the lockdown to make sure we get food out to the people that need it most.”

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“Several local wholesalers also donated stock that would otherwise have gone to waste when they were forced to close. We’ve even had schools and dental practices get in touch to drop off gloves, masks and hand sanitiser to keep our team safe.

“It’s been really heartening to see the community come together during the crisis to help make sure vulnerable people don’t go hungry.”

Charities and community groups interested in accessing food can contact the FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland warehouse on 0141 958 1133.