Tesco is urging customers to support local charities and community groups through its annual toy donation drive.
From November 9 to December 20, stores across Worcestershire will collect new and unwrapped toys bought in store.
These will then be distributed by local charities to children who may otherwise miss out.
Each charity or group has been chosen by store staff who have formed connections through their store’s community support.
Children’s hospital wards, local foodbanks, and the Salvation Army are also set to benefit.
Claire De Silva, Tesco Head of Communities, said: “Throughout the year our stores play a huge role in supporting their local communities.
“The annual toy donation campaign is a wonderful way to make a difference at Christmas and that’s all down to the hard work and generosity of our customers and colleagues.
“It’s great to see stores building on their local connections to support charities making a difference locally to ensure that every child experiences the magic of Christmas.”
Tesco is inviting customers across Worcestershire to donate new, unwrapped toys in its annual Christmas appeal (Image: Tesco)
More than 800 large Tesco stores across the UK will have a dedicated donation point for customers to donate new and unwrapped toys bought in store.
For the first time, the collection has been expanded to large Express stores.
Last Christmas, Tesco customers donated more than 100,000 toys to ensure no child went without a special gift.
Just some of the organisations set to receive support are Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice, which provides care for children with life-limiting conditions, Amelia’s Rainbow, which supports families of disabled children with grants for mobility equipment, and Caister Community Larder, which provides food for local families in need.
Tesco also supports children in getting access to healthy food during school time through its Free Fruit and Veg for Schools programme, with 20 million portions of fruit and veg already donated from local stores.
The programme aims to support more than 347,000 children in over 1,000 schools over the next year.
In addition to Free Fruit & Veg for Schools, Tesco also supports schools and kids’ groups through its Fruit & Veg Grants blue token scheme, where customers can vote in store to award funding to their favourite community groups.