Let’s talk about… Antrim Foodbank

Antrim Foodbank joined the Trussell Trust network in 2015 and is facilitated by the charity Oasis – Caring in Action. With three distribution sites and one warehouse, there is currently one member of staff, Project Manager Fionnuala O’Donnell, ably assisted by approximately 40 volunteers.

On average, the food bank receives around 100 referrals a month and provides emergency food for 300 people. Over the past five years, there has been an increase of over 170% in food bank use across Northern Ireland.

We caught up with Fionnuala to talk about the work she does in Antrim to support the food bank visitors and how she is supported by her team of dedicated volunteers.

Sharing and caring across the community

I’ve only officially been the Project Manager for around six months but have been involved with Oasis Antrim Community Support Hub and assisting with the food bank in various ways for many years. I’m passionate about helping the community in which I live. I want to grow the services we provide so that it is not just about handing out food but also providing assistance and information to empower and support those in need.

Growing Need

I’m apprehensive about what is around the corner for the people of Antrim, with rising fuel costs and, of course, the cut to the Universal Credit uplift – many people are unable to buy the basics. We will do everything we can to provide support. With winter, things will be getting even harder for people, and we will likely see many more through our doors.

Supported by volunteers

Fionnuala has excellent support from her volunteers and is keen to explore ways that they can help the service over and above, or instead of helping in the warehouse or distribution centres.

I am ever so grateful to our wonderful volunteers, and it’s a challenge sometimes to not keep asking the same people to help when they have already been so generous with their time.

We are very fortunate to have a Content Editor as a volunteer who has taken on all our publicity. A lawyer by day, the time and help he gives us has been instrumental in helping to keep the food bank front of mind throughout the local community.

I would like to have more specialist roles for volunteers, perhaps someone to be our church liaison to work with our local churches and someone to be our referral liaison, too.

With restrictions on social gatherings easing, they plan to hold a tea party shortly, which had been postponed since last year.

We want to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers, supporters and key donors to celebrate all the incredible things they have done over the past few years and recognise everyone’s efforts during this difficult period.

The future

Already one of the sites in the town centre is beginning to welcome visitors back in to enjoy a socially distanced cup of tea and a chat with the volunteers when they pick up their food parcel. Fionnuala is hoping that the other sites will fully open up again soon.

We are looking forward to being able to spend more time with our visitors again and be able to signpost them to other information they may need.

The food bank has also just introduced a weekly session with the charity Community Advice, which has proved so popular that they are hoping to offer this at their other sites. They have also recently teamed up with Christians Against Poverty, who hold a weekly café in a local church and help get the word out about what Antrim Foodbank do. 

Following a recent donation of some slow cookers and blenders, the food bank’s latest initiative will be cookery classes!

We were very fortunate to have been given some slow cookers and intend hosting a weekly cooking course for six families, run by two of our volunteers, to show people how to get the best out of slow cooking. At the end of the course, each family will be given a slow cooker of their own. 

Fionnuala concluded:

It is so hard to know what the future holds for our community. Still, we will be doing all we can to be at the forefront, providing support, advice and guidance until the time comes when there is no need for us.

Could you donate some time to help Antrim Foodbank in their work to build a #HungerFreeFuture in our Town?

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