Local MSP Jackie Baillie has joined forces with staff and shoppers at Tesco to collect vital supplies for local people who are experiencing tough times financially.

Between 2 and 4 July the Sinclair Street store encouraged shoppers to buy an extra item or two to donate to Helensburgh and Lomond Food Bank. Jackie Baillie MSP went along on Saturday to get a better insight of the initiative and help staff drum up support from shoppers.

Generous Helensburgh shoppers donated around 80 crates of food over the course of the collection drive and Tesco have added an extra 30% to the total.

Jackie said:

“I would like to thank shoppers in Helensburgh for their incredible generosity and the staff at Tesco for organising the collection. It is expected that even more emergency food parcels will be handed out over the school holidays when families who normally receive free school meals struggle to feed their children.

“People in Helensburgh and Lomond are increasingly turning to food banks as a last resort and we desperately need action from governments in Edinburgh and London to eradicate the need for food banks. Nobody should be forced to rely on charity to put food on the table.”