M&S Lisburn

To empower people in community who struggle with various issues including: depression, addiction, poverty, isolation and social interaction. We help them with life skills and work through issues they may face through lack of self esteem. Through the food project we aim to make the weekly budget go a little further by providing food parcels and goods to help with the day to day running of a household. Where necessary we will undertake the refurbishment of rooms within the house to create moe of a home.

The Resurgam Trust is a membership organisation working across 6 communities in Lisburn seeking to improve the communitites from within and in partnership. Focusing on addressing the social determinants of health through early intervention, youth and community development programmes, training, education and learning, a focus on health improvement, peace and social justice initiatives and the creation of employment and volunteering opportunities. We have a comprehensive projects such as Resurgam Youth Initiative operating 6 days/nights per week including inclusion and outreach programmes; Resurgam Healthy Living Centre providing programmes on social prescribing with referrals from primary care, self referrals and holiday lunch clubs & cooking programmes; community safety programme including meals provision to those in need (disabled, Carers, hardship, older people, ill with covid/other conditions). We operate social enterprises providing employment and training including work placements for local people. We operate programmes to improve mental health of young people and adults in the community. We have opened (from July 22) the Resurgam Healthy Living Centre Community Fridge. We provide food donated from supermarkets or community partners/gardens to others within the community to reduce food waste.

LCC Community Trust supports the Lisburn community in times of crisis. Our services focus on food poverty and finance, but we work holistically with people from diverse backgrounds to support their mental, emotional and spiritual needs as well. Our initiatives include Lisburn Foodbank (emergency food support and signposting for individuals and families in crisis),Kickstart Social Supermarket (a 12-week programme of wraparound support for those experiencing ongoing food poverty) and Community Money Advice (financial inclusion support and training, debt advice and budgeting support) as well as other social and wellbeing events and activities. We work with over 80 local statutory and community care providers, including community Health and Social Services teams, Housing Executive, Simon Community, Probation Service, Women’s Aid, Society of St Vincent DePaul and local elected representatives, who can refer service-users they have identified as in need of food support or financial inclusion. Referrers provide brief details of clients’ financial, health and social circumstances via a secure referral e-portal to enable us to identify the appropriate support offer. Where emergency food support is needed, a voucher can be issued directly, while ongoing support needs are assessed through an initial interview with support staff. Fresh food, fruit and vegetables are available for Foodbank users and Social Supermarket members at no charge to supplement ‘store cupboard’ items provided in emergency food parcels and subsidised social supermarket groceries respectively. As well as addressing crisis and ongoing food poverty, access to free fruit and vegetables gives choice and dignity to our clients and helps promote healthy eating, supporting better physical and mental health. Any fresh produce left over from Foodbank and Social Supermarket users is used to prepare meals and snacks for social and wellbeing events and activities such as community lunches and healthy cooking courses. These activities provide holistic support for people offering social inclusion, access to healthy meals and new skills, again promoting physical and mental wellbeing.