2024-Emma Beacom
Development and management of social supermarkets (SSMs) in the Republic of Ireland: Knowledge exchange from Northern Ireland counterparts
Dr Emma Beacom (PI), University College Cork (IE), and Dr Sinead Furey, Ulster University (UK) - Development and management of social supermarkets (SSMs) in the Republic of Ireland: Knowledge exchange from Northern Ireland counterparts
Grant ref: 2024-434-BAM-IAM
Award amount: £4,000
Project summary: Approximately 10% of the Irish population struggle to access food. Food banks have responded to this need but are not a sustainable solution. In Northern Ireland (NI), social supermarkets (SSMs) have been piloted as an alternative response. SSM members pay a monthly fee (over a timebound period) to access the supermarket, which provides them with consistent access to food, and the opportunity to choose their own groceries. Members must additionally avail of wraparound support services such as employability skill development opportunities, and budgeting courses. The Department for Communities in NI provided initial funding for SSM pilots between 2018-2020, and since then the number of SSMs operating in NI has increased, with various models having been developed and trialled. In the ROI however there has not, to date, been a successful SSM developed, and there is an identified knowledge gap among stakeholders regarding how to implement and manage SSMs. This study will examine Standard Operating Procedures among SSMs in NI and will use a co-design approach to determine operating principles which should be standardised among SSMs, and operational aspects which can be customised by individual organisations. A related framework will be developed to inform development and management of SSMs.