CHARITIES that help feed the most vulnerable in Oxford can register for a festive boost from Aldi this Christmas.

The supermarket has launched its food donations scheme and is calling on charities and food banks across the city to sign up so they can receive free food this Christmas.

All surplus fresh food from its stores in Oxford will be handed over to local charities on Christmas Eve.

As part of the scheme, charities and food banks will be paired with local stores and can collect products such as fruit, vegetables, fresh meat, fish and bread after the store closes at 6pm.

All charities that apply must be able to collect, store and distribute fresh food.

Each store can be partnered with one charity only, and the pairings will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibility, said: “We’re starting our festive donations scheme even earlier this year to give as many charities as possible the opportunity to apply.

“We want to give something back to the communities that we serve at such an important time of year.

"Last year we were able to reach thousands of people across the UK, and some charities were even able to prepare fresh meals that fed families well into the New Year.”

Charities need to contact Aldi’s corporate responsibility team at Christmas@aldi.co.uk before Sunday, November 18, with the following details to apply:

•    Organisation name
•    Charity number
•    Organisation focus (e.g. soup kitchen, food bank)
•    Contact details
•    The postcode of the three nearest Aldi stores

The initiative is an extension of Aldi’s existing food donations partnerships.

The supermarket works directly with FareShare and Company Shop throughout the year and has also pledged to reduce operational food waste by 50 per cent by 2030 as part of the Friends of Champions 12.3 network.