The Network Grand opening

Derry Journal

06/05/2025

The Network Grand opening.

Transcript

00:00I'm Karen Mullan, Director of Fawn Network Foundation.

00:07Karen, can you tell me how you've been today?

00:09It must be very emotional for them all for now.

00:11Yeah, very proud moment today for Fawn Network Foundation, for the staff, the board and the volunteers.

00:17We have explored this type of service for a while.

00:20There's many models across England that have been operating.

00:24And as I said, here today we have many of our partners and the project would have been possible without them, without their support,

00:33but also the funding.

00:34We will be able to open up this beautiful shop and provide this next level of support to our members.

00:41You've given away some of the work that went and they both messed up.

00:44I mean, you said you've had multiple partners with me.

00:47How long have you taken it all to bring together?

00:49I would say this has been about 18 months in the fusion because we had to seek the funding.

00:58We had to make the proposal.

00:59We had to make the case.

01:00We had to get people bought into the vision of what we were trying to do.

01:04Then we had to secure premises.

01:06We wanted premises closer to the city centre that was not identified with the food bank because we didn't want any barriers.

01:12We wanted to look like a shop.

01:14People can come and do their shopping.

01:16And it wasn't easy to get the premises.

01:18I would say that was probably the hardest.

01:20So we've got these and then obviously getting it off the ground.

01:23We did open before Christmas.

01:25It did put a lot of pressure on us.

01:27But it was good to do, to get open, to get that smooth running for a couple of weeks.

01:32And now, as we say, we're open two days a week.

01:35And members can come and shop once a week.

01:38And whatever time sits them as well.

01:40There's no restrictions.

01:41And what two days do we go in?

01:43So we're open on Tuesday and a Thursday currently.

01:46That may expand as time goes on.

01:48We'll see what the need is like in the membership.

01:51And take feedback from them.

01:53We open on the Thursday night at 7 o'clock.

01:56Just to support people who would be working.

01:58So we're seeing there is quite a number of people coming after 5 o'clock on a Thursday.

02:03I've noticed that throughout the speech.

02:05Is there that people...

02:06Can I talk about dignity?

02:07Is it like harmless?

02:08Can you tell me a bit about that?

02:09Yes.

02:10I think, you know, it's very difficult for people to reach out for help in the first instance.

02:15But, you know, there's those perceptions about what a food bank is.

02:19And what I would say to people is we are so much more than a food bank.

02:22And everything that we do is to make people feel welcomed.

02:27That they're coming onto an environment where there is, you know, it is very welcoming.

02:33There is no buyer type thing.

02:35It was very, very important for us, for this shop.

02:38We wanted it to be top class.

02:41Look like a lovely local shop.

02:44Like similar to a spa or a Euro spa.

02:47And that we had an abundance of choice.

02:51Including fresh vegetables, dairy and meat.

02:54And always they have that consistency there.

02:57That it's just not that people are coming in and it's tins of food and things like that.

03:01We have a full choice here.

03:03So we did work along with people who have used our service.

03:06And we took their input as well.

03:08And that's always invaluable.

03:09And it always improves everything that you do.

03:12As you can see, Jack, we're on a very busy road here.

03:20So even traffic can be sitting for a long time.

03:24So for us, we can see out.

03:26People can't see in.

03:27I think that was very important, being very public as well.

03:31And I think it's more for the person that's in here.

03:34I think over time, once you come the first time and you see what the service is,

03:38any barriers or I suppose any worries that you have really does lessen.

03:47So we feel that that's really worked.

03:50And it keeps that bit of privacy for people.

03:52And if someone feels like this should be the right place for them.

03:55Why do they go about becoming a member?

03:57So they can contact us through any of our forums.

04:00We're on all the social media platforms.

04:03But we have a website with all our details.

04:05Our phone number or email so you can ring down.

04:08We also have over 150 referral agencies across the city.

04:12They're all listed on our website as well.

04:14So if you wanted to go to one of them and get a referral.

04:16But you can always make a direct referral, self-referral.

04:19Just give us a ring or an email and one of the staff will come back to you.

04:23I'm Rose Bray.

04:24I'm the deputy director of a charity called Feeding Britain.

04:28I have a question.

04:29Did you know what it's actually feeding Britain?

04:31It's a very hard.

04:33I'm Rose Bray.

04:34I'm the deputy director of a charity called Feeding Britain.

04:37Yeah, I'm Rose Bray. I'm the deputy director of a charity called Feeding Britain.

04:58Absolutely. So as a charity, Feeding Britain is here to tackle hunger. But what we're really

05:04trying to do is bring about more preventative, sustainable, and dignified solutions to hunger

05:09and food insecurity.

05:11And what is your involvement in the network here?

05:14So Feeding Britain, we're a network organisation. So we work with partners all across the UK.

05:20And across our network, we've got about 400 of these affordable food projects. So projects

05:26where people can walk in, choose the food that they want and can eat from the shelves

05:31that meets their cultural and dietary requirements, and pay that small, affordable contribution

05:36for that. So we've worked with the team here at the network to share practice across those

05:41projects elsewhere, to help them think about what model might work best here.

05:47And I noticed that a big part of this was about preserving the partner with dignity. How important

05:53is that through Goodfell and the network you've done?

05:56Dignity is absolutely crucial to Feeding Britain and our partners. So that feeling of coming

06:03into a space like this, that looks and feels as lovely and as welcoming as it does, that

06:08really reduces stigma for people. And being able to choose the food that you want to eat

06:14from the shelves, and for there to be a broad range of food as well. You know, you can come

06:19here and get your fresh fruit and veg. You can come here and get your chilled items from

06:22the fridge, get your meat, get your dairy, you've got your ambient produce as well, you can

06:26pick up a few treats if you want them. So that dignity of choice is huge. But also dignity

06:32of purchase, that you're paying a small amount for it, that it's not a free handout, is hugely

06:38important for people.

06:39I'm not guessing that you've worked with businesses like this before now in the past, can you give

06:43me a quick insight on how important that will be for dairy in the future? You know, how ill

06:50of all the time is it?

06:52Yeah, absolutely. What we see is that places like this are so much more than the food. The

06:59food might be what brings people in the door, but they become hubs for the whole community.

07:03So there is space to come and, yes, get your affordable groceries, but also maybe meet other

07:09people from the local community, build connection, to start conversations about the other issues

07:15that people might be facing, whether that's housing, benefits, debt, and get access to wider

07:20support with those issues as well. What we've heard from members of these projects elsewhere

07:25is that as a result of the project, they are eating more healthily, eating more fruit and veg,

07:30they're cooking more meals at home, they are feeling more connected to their wider community,

07:36and they're able to access those wider wraparound services and support they need as well.

07:40Thank you very much.

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