Family support charity Home-Start has began receiving deliveries of surplus food from the Marks & Spencer Foodhall store at Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich.

The store has adopted Home-Start as its charity of the year, with eight crates of food items already having been provided for distribution to households across Suffolk.

Other activities over the coming 12 months will include in-store fundraising collections, a recruitment event to help secure more volunteers for the charity and festive-themed craft sessions for youngsters.

Ashley Mills, store manager, said: “Home-Start Suffolk does a fantastic job of supporting people in the local community and we’re thrilled to contribute to such a great cause.

“We’re committed to putting customers at the heart of everything we do, and it’s great to know that any food surplus is being used to support such a worthwhile and impactful initiative in the local area.”

Ella Heeney, Home-Start fundraising co-ordinator, added: “This is a wonderful partnership for us as a Suffolk charity and we are truly grateful to the staff at M&S for agreeing to help us in this way.”