Foyle Network Foundation marks 10 years of partnership helping people across Derry
Foyle Network Foundation has marked a decade of partnership working which has helped transform the organisation from a traditional foodbank into a much wider support service for thousands of people across Derry.
Staff, board members, volunteers, members and partners came together to look ahead to the next stage of the organisation’s work at the 2025/2026 AGM.
Foyle Network Foundation began as a foodbank more than ten years ago, but its work today goes well beyond providing emergency food.
The organisation says people coming through its doors are often facing poverty or a personal crisis, with many dealing with several problems at the same time.
That has led Foyle Network Foundation to work closely with organisations across the city to make sure people can access the right help when they need it.
Karen Mullan, Director of Foyle Network Foundation, said: “The biggest thing we have learned over the last ten years is that people very rarely come to us with one problem.
“Someone may initially come because they need food, but when you sit down and talk to them, there can be much more going on in their life.
“It could be debt, housing, benefits, employment or another personal crisis. Our job is to look at the whole picture and work with our partners to make sure that person gets the right support.
“We don’t want to duplicate the excellent work already happening across the city. We want to bring that expertise together and make it easier for people to get the help they need.”
Foyle Network Foundation has also developed its approach to financial support, looking at a person’s overall financial situation rather than focusing on benefits advice alone.
This is about helping people deal with immediate pressures while also building greater financial resilience for the future through initiatives like The Network, the affordable food store on the Strand Road.
Our job is to look at the whole picture and work with our partners to make sure that person gets the right support.
People with lived experience also play a major role in shaping the organisation’s work, helping to design and review services and identify new pressures facing people locally.
Ms Mullan added: “Some of the most important voices around the table are those of people who have experienced poverty themselves.
“They tell us what works, what doesn’t and where the gaps are. That helps us respond much more quickly when new issues begin to emerge.
“Over the coming year, Foyle Network Foundation will focus on Impact Beyond Food, looking at how partnerships can be strengthened to provide the best possible support for people experiencing hardship.
“A key component of this work will be the establishment of a Poverty Truth Commission, bringing together people with lived experience alongside community and civic partners.”
Ms Mullan added: “We are extremely grateful to our staff, board, volunteers, members and partners, as well as the donors and local people who continually support our appeals and food drives.
“The generosity we see across Derry is incredible and has made a real difference to people’s lives. We want to build on that over the coming years and make sure that anyone who comes to us in need gets the best support we can possibly provide.”