Ten community-based organisations across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a major new investment by Safefood, which has today announced £1.26 million in funding to support 28 grassroots food and nutrition projects across the island of Ireland.
The investment comes as part of the Safefood Community Food Initiatives Programme 2025–2028, which aims to positively influence the eating habits and overall health of people living in low-income communities through practical, locally delivered support.
With more than one-third of all long-term funded projects based in Northern Ireland, the programme reflects Safefood’s continued commitment to tackling health inequalities through food by addressing the diverse needs of communities across the region.
Welcoming the launch, Minister of Health Mike Nesbitt MLA said:“Our food environment has changed dramatically in recent years and we are tempted to eat more unhealthy foods at every turn.
“This has impacted on the health of our population across Northern Ireland and there is a real need to increase access to healthier food and empower people in low-income communities to make healthier food choices.
“I look forward to working with Safefood and their Community Food Initiatives to ensure that healthy eating is within the reach of everyone in every community.”
The Northern Ireland funded projects include Greater Village Regeneration Trust in South Belfast, which will train “food champions” and host pop-up cook-alongs on nutrition, cooking and budgeting. ARC Healthy Living Centre in Irvinestown will work with families and people living with an addiction by delivering a project focussing on the benefits of growing and eating fresh, homegrown food and working to establish a local food co-operative.
The Marion Centre of Excellence CIC in Newtownabbey will support socially isolated individuals with cooking workshops and healthy meal planning, while ReachOut in Antrim will combine mental health support with food education and budgeting.
Hope Magherafelt will deliver cooking sessions and food safety workshops for families and young people. In Creggan, Derry~Londonderry, the Old Library Trust will offer community meals and cookery classes to promote healthier lifestyles.
Clanrye Group, operating across Newry, Down and Armagh, will link food education to life and employment skills. In Richhill, County Armagh Community Development (CACD) will run workshops in rural areas using community kitchens and outreach events.
Loughshore Care Partnership in Craigavon will support older adults and carers with practical cooking and nutrition advice. Rural Health Partnership will deliver sessions across rural Armagh focused on meal planning, food access and using fresh local produce.
Jenny Irvine, CEO of the ARC Healthy Living Centre said, “Our work involved a series of small projects run over time to build skills and knowledge and large community events, reaching large numbers of people with information and ideas for high nutritional value low-cost food options”.
“The beauty of our last project was that it was responsive to, and shaped by, what families said was most important to them. The home-from-school cookery programme was a suggestion from participants attending the love your lunch picnic, developed by a dietician and piloted here at the ARC. We are delighted and very grateful to receive ongoing support from Safefood. The new project will take on board past learning, and we are excited for the future and have lots of fresh new ideas.”
Dr Gary A. Kearney, Chief Executive, Safefood continued:“We’re excited to launch our latest round of Safefood Community Food Initiatives. They have a proven track record of effectiveness and success, and we want to extend their impact by doubling the scale and increasing the scope of our work to include not only good nutritional and healthy eating help but also including ‘tips and trips’ around food safety for members of the public.
“In addition to the 28 projects, which will be funded for 4 years announced today, we are introducing a new cross border partnership that will fund a further 4 cross border projects. We will also be funding 25 additional one-off community projects each year under the scheme.
“This year marks 15 years since we first started working among communities and more than 65,000 people have taken part since then. By supporting people in low-income communities, these projects have the potential to create long-lasting changes in how people shop, plan and cook food. Ultimately, this work is about improving the access to, and availability of, healthy and safe food in our communities.”
Funded groups will lead a range of tailored activities, including food education, hands-on community cooking sessions and budgeting workshops designed to equip residents with the knowledge and skills to plan, shop for, and prepare healthier meals.
The programme will support each group to establish, manage, and sustain a local food initiative that promotes lasting behaviour change and strengthens community resilience around healthier eating.
For more information on The Community Food Initiatives (CFI) Programme 2025–2028 visit: www.safefood.net/community-food-initiatives.