AQW 27484/17-22 Written question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities (i) to detail the social supermarkets that have received funding from her Department in the last five years, and the amount given; and (ii) for her assessment of the change in demand for social supermarkets over this time.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 15 December 2021
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 15 December 2021
- Answer due by
- 5 January 2022
- Answered
- 17 January 202233 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
My Department has funded 5 Social Supermarket Pilots since October 2017 and awarded a total of £1.39million in funding. The table below details the awards to each Pilot:
| Funding Awarded | 2017/2018 | 2018/2019 | 2019/2020 | 2020/2021 | 2021/2022 | Total to Date |
| 6 months only | ||||||
| Vineyard Compassion | £35,721.70 | £68,891.85 | £67,193.73 | £61,082.29 | £60,299.54 | £293,189.11 |
| Strabane Community Project | £37,500.00 | £67,495.42 | £59,995.42 | £60,000.00 | £59,194.50 | £284,185.34 |
| Lisburn City Church Community Trust | £34,997.12 | £63,920.09 | £57,497.98 | £58,500.00 | £57,230.35 | £272,145.54 |
| Footprints Women’s Centre | £32,471.02 | £59,743.88 | £54,736.72 | £53,133.96 | £56,980.00 | £257,065.58 |
| Apex Housing | £36,145.77 | £65,945.46 | £59,799.70 | £60,000.00 | £62,057.16 | £283,948.09 |
| Total | £176,835.61 | £325,996.70 | £299,223.55 | £292,716.25 | £295,761.55 | £1,390,533.66 |
In line with other food poverty interventions, Social Supermarkets have seen an increase in demand for their services since 2017 and demand remains above pre-pandemic levels.
My Department is currently working with local government and other stakeholders on a co-design basis, to consider how best to implement social supermarket models in each council area. The aim of this work is to offer a more sustainable response for those facing food insecurity by offering a service which seeks to address the causes of the insecurity rather than simply provide food support.