Poverty on the Causeway Coast: The Crisis Hidden Behind the Scenery
By Phil Drummond (Provisions Manager) Vineyard Compassion
When most people think of the Causeway Coast, they picture the Giant's Causeway, the amazing clifftops, the blue flag beaches and the kind of landscapes that ends up on postcards around the world. What they don't picture is a mum in Coleraine going to bed hungry so her kids can eat, or an elderly man in Ballymoney sitting in a cold house because he can't afford to turn the heating on, or a family quietly unravelling under the weight of debt, low wages, and a benefits system that just doesn't stretch far enough.
But unfortunately, this is the reality for thousands of our neighbours. And it is a reality that Vineyard sees every single week, through our Compassion ministry.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Poverty in Northern Ireland is not an abstract problem. Around 232,000 people in Northern Ireland are currently living in relative poverty. Child poverty figures are very slowly improving but still remain disproportionately high, with around 67,000 children affected.
Here in Causeway Coast and Glens, we have 20% of people that are at high risk of dying in poverty. In this area fuel poverty affects 28% of households, which is one of the highest rates throughout the UK.
These are not statistics about somewhere else. They are about our borough, our community, our friends and families.
Nearly half (46%) of adults in Northern Ireland have less than £1,500 in savings. That means one unexpected car repair, one emergency bill, one gap in work, and a family has the potential to fall into crisis. Throughout 2024 and into 2025 1 in 5 households in Northern Ireland had experienced food insecurity including 130,000 children.
Rural Poverty: The Invisible Kind
Urban poverty is often more visible, but some of the deepest need in our area is tucked away in smaller villages and townlands across the Glens and along the coast.
Rural isolation compounds financial hardship. There's no nipping down the road to a food bank when you have no transport and the nearest town is fifteen miles away!
This is why Vineyard Compassion doesn't just run a foodbank from one building. We work with our satellites in Coleraine and across the borough as part of the wider anti-poverty network in Causeway Coast and Glens, to try to reach people wherever they are, whenever they are in need.
What We See at the Foodbank
At Causeway Foodbank, based in The Hope Centre in Coleraine, we see families who are working but whose wages simply don't stretch. We see people on benefits who are not lazy, not reckless, but trapped by a system that doesn't keep pace with the cost of living. We see people who are embarrassed to ask for help, who waited until the absolute last moment before walking through our doors and who, when they did, found a warm welcome and no judgement.
We also run Reset Social Supermarket a dignified, community-based alternative to emergency food provision, where people can shop affordably and rebuild some financial stability.
The people we see coming through our Open Door are not mindless statistics. They are parents, grandparents, young adults, disabled people, carers, people who've lost jobs, people whose relationships have broken down. They are our neighbours, maybe even our friends and family and it could be us.
Why This Matters to Us as a Church
Vineyard Compassion is the compassion arm of Causeway Coast Vineyard Church. We believe the Gospel is not just words, it's action. It's also presence and turning up for people in crisis and refusing to look away when it is easier to do so.
The prophet Isaiah described true faith as “loosing the chains of injustice, sharing food with the hungry, and providing shelter for the poor” (Isaiah 58:6-7).
Jesus also said that whatever we do for "the least of these," we do for him (Matthew 25:40).
Poverty on our doorstep is not someone else's problem it is a call to Christians to respond.
The Call to Action: What You Can Do
The good news is that change is possible and you can be part of it. It does not take much to see transformation in our community. All we need to do is to take notice and be willing to step up and do what God has called us to do. There are a few ways you could make a real difference in your community:
Donate Food - Non-perishable items make an immediate difference. Tinned goods, pasta, rice, cereals, toiletries, and baby items are always needed. Drop donations at The Hope Centre, 10 Hillmans Way, Coleraine, or at one of our partner churches across the area.
Give Financially - Your financial donation helps us keep the doors open, pay for food parcels, and reach more people.
Volunteer – Our work is powered by volunteers who give their time to pack parcels, welcome guests, and keep things running. If you have an hour or two a week, we would love to hear from you.
Share the Word Both Ways - If you know someone who is struggling, please tell them that help is here and no referral is needed in an emergency. Call us on 028 7022 0005.
Pray - If you are part of a church or faith community, please pray for the people we serve, for our volunteers, and for systemic change in our society that addresses the root causes of poverty.