Work at Antrim's food bank recognised at Spirit of Volunteering Awards 2022

By Joanne Savage
Published 21st Oct 2022, 11:50 BST
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The tireless work of staff recently recognised at ceremony hosted at Mossley Mill

The committed work of Antrim Foodbank’s volunteers was recently recognised at the Spirit of Volunteering Awards 2022 hosted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in Mossley Mill.

The Spirit of Volunteering Awards recognise the unsung heroes in the Borough who dedicate so much of their lives to volunteering.

Thanks to those volunteers, Antrim Foodbank is now running sessions across the town every weekday, including Monday evenings.

Back Row (L to R): Robert Jones, Pauline Bannister, Norman Neill. Front Row (L to R): Ruth Downey, Stephen Brown, Jocelyn Brown, Myra Hutchinson, Janice Neill, Mary Yates, Valerie McLaughlin, Beverly Kilpatrick from Antrim food bankBack Row (L to R): Robert Jones, Pauline Bannister, Norman Neill. Front Row (L to R): Ruth Downey, Stephen Brown, Jocelyn Brown, Myra Hutchinson, Janice Neill, Mary Yates, Valerie McLaughlin, Beverly Kilpatrick from Antrim food bank
Back Row (L to R): Robert Jones, Pauline Bannister, Norman Neill. Front Row (L to R): Ruth Downey, Stephen Brown, Jocelyn Brown, Myra Hutchinson, Janice Neill, Mary Yates, Valerie McLaughlin, Beverly Kilpatrick from Antrim food bank

Fionnuala O’Donnell, project manager, said: “The work we do simply wouldn’t happen without the tireless efforts of our volunteers. We are delighted that their work has been recognised in the Spirit of Volunteering Awards.

“At Antrim Foodbank we are now running sessions five days a week to meet the increasing need in our town. Our goal of a ‘hunger free future’ seems further away than ever.”

As part of The Trussell Trust network of food banks, Antrim Foodbank is an Oasis Antrim Community Support Hub programme which operates on a referral basis.

If you need help, your first step is to get a food bank voucher. These can be obtained from referral partners including Community Advice, St Vincent de Paul, Home Start, Women’s Aid, and Social Services.

Fionnuala added: “It is a stark statistic that 41% of recipients of Universal Credit are in work, without enough income to stay warm, fed, and dry. Our Monday evening sessions with the Family Caring Centre in Rathenraw have been tailored to meet the needs of people working through the day.”

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