Tesco Ireland has announced that it will increase its Christmas Community Fund to €250,000 to homeless charities and support groups throughout the country, with causes across Wexford due to receive over €6,300.

As communities across Ireland continue to rise to the challenge of Covid-19, Tesco is lending a helping hand to groups and organisations that provide support to those experiencing homelessness around the country. As part of this latest round of funding, each Tesco store will donate up to €2,000 shared between three local causes in its community. 

Recipients of the funding in Wexford will include St Joseph’s Community Centre SVDP, Action 4 You, Wexford Women’s Refuge and many more local groups right across Wexford.

Recent research among adults in Leinster revealed that almost half of adults (47%) said that they plan to make a charitable donation this Christmas with homeless charities the most important cause for a significant majority of people (68%).

Launching the latest round of donations, Rosemary Garth, Communications Director, Tesco Ireland said: 

“With Christmas fast approaching, it is vitally important that we continue to support those most in need in our local communities. Charitable groups supporting homeless services across Wexford have adapted to the difficult circumstances this year and continue to provide vital services in fighting homelessness and poverty. We hope that this increased Community Fund of €250,000 will go some way to help those most in need this Christmas.”

The Community Fund is just one in a series of measures that Tesco has implemented to help those most in need in communities across Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tesco Ireland has donated over €724,000 through its Community Fund programme to local causes affected by the pandemic earlier this year; in March, the company also donated €150,000 split among three national charities – ALONE, Age Action and Family Carers Ireland – to support their efforts in helping the elderly, family carers and the most vulnerable members of our communities across the country. Additionally, as part of its food surplus redistribution programme, Tesco has also worked to support FoodCloud Hubs with over €100,000 worth of longer-life non-perishable food to support community food services.

Launched in July 2014, the Tesco Community Fund supports local causes in the communities around its 151 stores throughout Ireland. To date, the Community Fund has helped over 16,850 local projects. Further information on the Tesco Community Fund is available on www.tesco.ie/communityfund.