Families helped by local ‘social supermarket’

A ‘social supermrket’ run by Vineyard Compassion in Coleraine has helped more than 300 local families since it began.

Since January 2018, the RESET programme has served 325 families (801 people), providing savings of £137,000 on food and household essentials costs for families in the Causeway Coast & Glens area.

RESET Social Supermarket is a Vineyard Compassion programme based at the Hope Centre at the Hillman’s Way site in Coleraine.

Reset is designed to help people who are struggling to put food on the table by offering access to food and household items at a reduced cost.

One member told of the difference the programme made to their circumstances: “RESET was really good value for money with the amount of produce you receive; this was of great benefit to me during tough times,”

The programme was initially funded by the Department for Communities as one of five Social Supermarket projects piloted in Northern Ireland back in January 2018 as part of the NI Welfare Reform Mitigations and due to the success of the scheme, continues to receive government funding from the Department of Communities.

Ricky Wright, Director of Vineyard Compassion, said: “RESET Social Supermarket aims to support people to reset the priorities of food, finance and future stability for themselves and their families.”