NIE Networks Charities Fund donates £20,000 to The Trussell Trust

28 May 2020

The NIE Networks Staff and Pensioners Charities Fund, funded by employees and former employees of the company has donated £20,000 to the food bank charity The Trussell Trust.

With over 20 food banks across Northern Ireland, including Belfast, Enniskillen, Ballymena and Foyle, The Trussell Trust supports a network of food banks and provides emergency food and support to people locked in poverty as well as campaigning for change to end the need for food banks.

Employees and pensioners of NIE Networks have supported hundreds of charities over the last 25 years through payroll and pension giving each month, which has enabled them to allocate grants to various causes.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact families, resulting in a significant rise in the need for food provisions and support, employees at NIE Networks wanted to go the extra mile and award a significant grant to a much needed local charity.

Peter Mullan, Secretary of the NIE Networks Charities Fund said;

“Our staff and pensioners are delighted to be able to continue our support for local charities by making this donation to The Trussell Trust. More than ever, their network of food banks across Northern Ireland is quite literally a life line for many families.

“This is one of the biggest grants we have awarded to a single charity and we really hope the £20,000 can go some way to ensuring their vital work and services reach those who most need it right now.”

Paul Armstrong, Operations Manager for Northern Ireland at the Trussell Trust, said:

“As the coronavirus outbreak develops, more people are likely to need a food bank’s help. Our teams are working tirelessly to ensure that food banks are able to remain open and have the necessary stocks to respond to this crisis.

“The support of NIE Networks Staff and Pensioners Charities Fund means we can remain agile to respond to the fast-changing situation and ensure food banks in Northern Ireland continue to provide the lifeline of emergency food and additional support for people in crisis.”

As well as this charitable donation, employees from NIE Networks have also been donating their time through volunteering over the last few months.

Like many companies, COVID-19 has meant that some staff can’t undertake their normal work and so they have put their time to use by supporting local communities in different ways.

Staff at NIE Networks have manufactured 10,000 simple face visors for care home domiciliary staff, delivered hundreds of prescriptions, collected and delivered food supplies for those unable to leave their homes and delivered vital PPE to local care workers and hospital staff.

Through both financial donations and volunteering, it is has been important to the staff to make any contribution they can to communities and individuals in need of support across Northern Ireland.