Tesco has given back to the community by supporting local charities with extra funding and champion roles.

Community champion’s like Steve Roach have helped organisations such as Ammanford Food Bank, Ysgol Dyffryn Amman, the Tuesday Visually Impaired Club (TVIC), Betws Family Centre and Plant Dewi.

One of Tesco's core programmes, Stronger Starts has allowed underprivileged children receive a better start to life by funding healthy food and fitness activities.

Ammanford Tesco focuses on core programmes such as Stronger Starts and Community Food Connection.Ammanford Tesco focuses on core programmes such as Stronger Starts and Community Food Connection. (Image: Steve Roach)

Tesco provided refreshments to parents and children who attended Plant Dewi's family groups.Tesco community champions like Steve Roach (pictured on the left) gave refreshments to parents and children who attend Plant Dewi's family groups. (Image: Steve Roach) Project worker at Plant Dewi, Samantha Duggan said: “The continued support from Tesco has helped us provide refreshments to parents and children in the local community who attend the Plant Dewi Families Together and Young Parents groups.

“Their kind donations to an annual family fun day in the National Botanic Gardens of Wales allowed us to offer snacks to over a hundred families last year. They will also be supporting this year’s event with snacks and refreshments - their support is invaluable.”

The Community Food Connection initiative ensures food doesn't go to waste.The Community Food Connection initiative ensures food doesn't go to waste. (Image: Steve Roach) Another initiative, Community Food Connection has ensured good food doesn’t go to waste by donating surplus food to charities.

Manager at Ammanford Food Bank, Paul Kennedy said: “Ammanford Foodbank is grateful for the community involvement of Tesco – they’ve been strongly supportive of our work and have better enabled us to help those in need.

“We’ve been given this opportunity to host collection days in-store and maintain a constant donations drop-off point for customers as they leave the supermarket for a number of years.

“It is one of the main arteries that help us keep up with the need for emergency support. We are so grateful for all that Tesco do to help us and look forward to strengthening this relationship.”

Tesco helped the Tuesday Visually Impaired Club to raise money for travel costs.Tesco helped the Tuesday Visually Impaired Club to raise money for travel costs. (Image: Steve Roach) After COVID, TVIC lost its County Council funding for transport and free-of-charge council venue.

However, Tesco made sure the club continued to offer a safe and accessible venue for visually impaired people from the Amman Valley.

Secretary at Amman TVIC, Brian Hobart said: “During the last two difficult years, working with Steve the Community Champion, Tesco has helped with supplying basic food and refreshments and they’ve also given us useful and welcome advice.

“We were approached and offered help and the company facilities to do a bank holiday instore collection for donations to the club. This resulted in enough funding for three months' transport costs.”

Ysgol Dyffryn Aman were supported by Tesco and received £1500 from the Stronger Starts Community Grant.Ysgol Dyffryn Aman were supported by Tesco and received £1500 from the Stronger Starts Community Grant. (Image: Steve Roach) Ysgol Dyffryn Aman has been supported by Tesco in the last two years and received £1500 from the Stronger Starts Community Grant to create an outdoor space with garden benches and planters.

Tesco regularly donate tea and coffee to Betws Family Centre.Tesco regularly donates tea and coffee to Betws Family Centre. (Image: Steve Roach) Furthermore, Tesco regularly donates tea and coffee to Betws Family Centre to help the charity save funds.

For more information about Tesco’s community champions, visit their website.