Enniskillen Foodbank is grappling with a significant challenge: keeping food on the shelves despite a slight reduction in the number of food parcels being distributed compared to last year

However, they are still giving away almost 100 parcels every week to hungry people across Fermanagh.

In September 2023, Enniskillen Foodbank gave away around 115 parcels a week.

Year-on-year there has been a slight drop in parcels given to hungry people according to food bank manager, John Shades. However, he warns that service users are yet to feel the cold.

He said: “If it gets a touch colder, we will see it.”

This week, he says the average is between 98 and 100 parcels a week, he commented: “There is a difference but I think by the end of this month we will be on par with last October (127 parcels a week).  Pointing to incoming colder weather, he warned: “We will see a change when the end of the month comes.

“Last year, [October] was marginally busier but it is fairly close, but we are just not at the mayhem point, it is giving it cold in Scotland and the north of England in the coming week if we get a touch of that then you will see the demand start to go up."

Mr. Shades says one of the main issues facing the food bank is keeping ahold of stock.

“We are not worried at this point but we have bought more stock in the last three or four months than I can ever remember us buying but we still have never turned anyone away without food, that is the good thing.

He was complimentary of the generosity within the community: “Today, we got 250 kilos [of stock] from a community centre and one of the local churches came with harvest stuff and we have a few other churches want to give us harvest stuff.

“The Community Champion in Tesco, Martina Reynolds put out a thing last week [calling for stock]  and people have responded in an amazing way which has been really good.

Enniskillen Foodbank is yet to have a session this year where no one has come looking for food: “We are open five sessions a week, every session will have people taking something.”

The sessions operate in Enniskillen, Irvinestown, Belleek and Newtownbutler. He says Enniskillen and Irvines are the busiest sessions for people seeking support from the food bank.  However, there is a demand across the board, explained Mr. Shades: “With Surestart in Newtownbutler, we left them food for 21 people so that would be the most we have done there for about six weeks “Last Wednesday, we did 38 people in Enniskillen, our record before was 86 people in two hours a couple of years ago.”

Alongside food parcels, many people confide in Mr. Shades and his team of volunteers about their own situations and how they are facing as costs add up.

He said: “The hardest time people had recently is when the children go back to school but periodically, someone will come in and say, they were working over summer and now they are waiting for universal credit and have no money and things like that but people seeking help is usually much more circumstantial at the moment if a big bill comes in.”

“I had a woman in chatting me yesterday and she told me she’d rather go without [food] for a few days than let the kids go without, but she is not there yet. She is not one of our clients and this is how everyday people are struggling.”