Foodbank social supermarket click and collect and 'mobile shop' service mooted to address gaps in Derry & Strabane

As the Social Supermarket scheme expands across Northern Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council has identified gaps for food services in rural areas.

It follows a report on Social Supermarket research and engagement for a food support / wraparound service model, which was presented at a Health and Community Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 23.

The report stated that a pilot Social Supermarket programme was started in 2017 to “test the potential for the concept to tackle food poverty and its root causes”.

This programme lead the funding of two Social Supermarkets in the district: Strabane Community Project and Foyle Foodbank.

The programme has since been expanded across all Council areas to support people “beyond food”, by supplying wraparound support services that “transition people out of food poverty and respects the dignity” of clients.

The report warned that the scheme “inadvertently created a provision gap” in three of the Council’s rural DEA areas.

It recommends that, going forward, this gap can be addressed through “online ordering, click and collect, or a refrigerated van which can travel between areas as a mobile shop”.

The District’s two Social Supermarkets currently receive approximately £133,000 in total funding from the Department of Communities (DfC) annually, and funding for 2024/2025 will “likely be based on the same allocation”.

A Council Officer warned that, to fully implement the report’s recommendations, this allocation might “not be sufficient”.

SDLP Councillor Catherine McDaid warned that almost 400,000 people across Northern Ireland had experience food poverty in the last year.

“That’s just terrifying,” Cllr McDaid said, while welcoming the new services.

“It’s good to see this, as it’s a much-needed service, but in another way it’s terrible.

“It’s really important to work with reps and people in rural DEAs to make it work and to make sure we get the viewpoint of everyone impacted.”

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey agreed that the current funding figure might not be adequate.

He said: “Addressing the issue will require resources, and yet we’re told that the funding allocation will likely be the same as 2023/2024.”

“When we have identified a specific need within the rural community, I’m trusting that that matter will be addressed going forward.”

SDLP Deputy Mayor Councillor Jason Barr said it was “vital” that Council rolled the service out to rural DEAs.

He said: “The amount of people that constantly contact our office, trying to reach food services, and unfortunately it doesn’t quite reach there or they aren’t entitled to it.

“People in rural areas are just as entitled to food support as those in towns and cities.”

In March 2023 Foyle Foodbank partnered with Apex Housing Association (Apex) to deliver its Community Supermarket service for the current financial year.

This addition to the Springtown-based Derry foodbank enabled the development of a range of wrap around support services at its Springtown base, as part of The Trussell Trust’s Pathfinder project.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter