RESIDENTS across Merseyside & the Wirral can now access free food from Lidl stores as the discounter and Neighbourly expand their partnership with food-sharing app Olio.

When local charities are unable to make late-evening collections from Lidl stores, Olio’s volunteer "Food Waste Heroes" can now step in to pick up surplus fresh produce, meat, and bakery items before doors close. Instead of going to waste, items that can’t be held overnight go straight to local families, shelters, and community groups.

The local expansion is part of a major nationwide rollout that is already preventing 1,200kg of food waste every week. With plans to roll it out nationwide by the end of the year, the initiative is expected to redistribute 5,000 tonnes of surplus food each year, the equivalent of nearly 11.9 million meals.

Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB, said:- “Real change requires a community effort, and we are incredibly grateful to our store teams, charity partners and the dedicated Food Waste Heroes who are rescuing good quality food for those who need it most. With our sights set on a nationwide rollout by the end of this year, this expanding partnership will soon empower communities to rescue up to nearly 12 million meals every single year. This collaboration will make a huge impact on the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities everywhere.”

The initiative significantly scales up the discounters' existing efforts with social impact platform Neighbourly by integrating Olio’s network of Food Waste Heroes into its surplus food network - combining the strengths of two leading players in food redistribution for the 1st time. 

To support the scheme, volunteers in Merseyside & the Wirral are being urged to sign up through the Olio app to become Food Waste Heroes. These volunteers step in to make late-evening collections when local charities are unable to do so, ensuring high-quality food goes straight to local people rather than going to waste. Under the programme’s unique model, volunteers who rescue the food can keep a maximum of 10% of the items for their own households, seamlessly distributing the rest to neighbours via the app.