More than 1,000 meals were donated by a major supermarket to seven causes in the Borders during Easter.

The donation is part of Aldi's UK-wide partnership with local charities, community groups, and food banks to collect unsold fresh and chilled food year-round.

A total of around 500,000 meals were donated throughout the UK during the recent school holidays.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: "We know that the school holidays can be a particularly challenging time for families, and food banks regularly see heightened demand.

"By working with such amazing charities in the Scottish Borders through our partnership Neighbourly, we are able to give back by providing donations to those who need it most."

Steve Butterworth, chief executive officer of Neighbourly, who partnered with Aldi for the food donations, said: "The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has increased the demand on food banks, particularly during the school holidays.

"Aldi's contributions serve as a lifeline for many, providing essential support to enable these causes to continue their vital work within local communities."

Since 2019, the supermarket has donated more than 44 million meals to good causes across the UK.

It also recently partnered with Neighbourly to launch a new Spring fund to provide additional help for families in need across the country.

Eligible charities across the Neighbourly network will be able to access microgrants of £500 to help them provide immediate support to struggling families.