‘Family Support’ partnership seeking £10k donation from Antrim and Newtownabbey

The council’s Community Planning Committee has been told that the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has provided funding of  £45,000 to progress a family support initiative in association with Save the Children in the Trust’s Northern area between January and March.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Mid Ulster Council have also agreed to make a contribution.

Last February, Antrim and Newtownabbey councillors agreed to  provide financial assistance to Save the Children through the Covid-19 Community Support Fund totalling £33,000 to deliver an emergency response programme for families and children, last winter.

This enabled support to be provided to 135 children from 70 families who received financial help with basic items such as food, clothing, baby necessities, household products and educational aids.

The programme, led by Save the Children Fund and delivered in partnership with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Sure Start and Community Advice Antrim and Newtownabbey assisted families experiencing “extreme hardship” who had a child aged six or under., a report to councillors stated.

They have advised of the “positive impact” upon those who received this essential support.

Newtownabbey Foodbank says it has been feeding twice as many people during the Covid pandemic, Antrim Foodbank has provided 1,227 emergency food parcels between April 2020 and March 2021.

Second Randalstown Presbyterian Church has requested funding of £1,000 from the borough council to set up a “baby bank” project.

Meanwhile, 150  families have benefited from a Christmas community toy scheme in Antrim and Newtownabbey thanks to the donation of new and “as new” toys to appeals run by Fit Moms & Kids, Glengormley,  A Safe Space to be Me and Listening Ear, Macedon.

Councillors also heard that in partnership with Habitat for Humanity NI, two pop-up shops were organised to sell toys donated through the borough’s household recycling centres working with Monkstown Community Forum and Muckamore Parish Development Association.

More than 4,000 toys were donated at the council’s household recycling centres. They were also made available to local community organisations in Neighbourhood Renewal areas and Women’s Aid.

Six community organisations collected “a significant number” of toys for their own programmes and community use to support local families, the report noted.

In addition, support was received from a Marks and Spencer’s store in the borough where staff donated brand new toys purchased from their salaries into the Community Toy Scheme to a value of approximately £700.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Mayor Councillor Billy Webb said at the time: “The kindness of people never ceases to amaze me.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter