Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Poverty Support Programme Delivers Lifeline to Hundreds Amid Cost-of-Living Crisis

Over 200 households across Fermanagh and Omagh have benefited from vital support through the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Poverty Support Programme 2024–2025, a community-driven initiative aimed at tackling relative poverty and the cost-of-living crisis in the region.

Known as the “WRAP Programme” (Western Response and Action on Poverty), the programme is supported by funding from the Department for Communities and the Public Health Agency, and is delivered across Fermanagh and Omagh by six partnering organisations – Fermanagh Rural Community Network (lead partner), ARC Healthy Living Centre, Erne East Community Partnership – OAK Healthy Living Centre, Lakeland Community Care Limited, Omagh Forum for Rural Associations and The Courthouse Kesh Limited.

With approximately 23% of the local population living in relative poverty, the programme provided a critical safety net for individuals and families in need.

Key impact highlights:

• Support reached over 655 individuals, including more than 365 children
• £64,000 distributed in vouchers for food and essential items
• Over £24,000 in emergency energy support provided through the Bryson Care “Cost of Living” initiative
• Almost 1,800 support interventions delivered

Support was tailored to meet a broad range of needs including debt support, benefit entitlement checks, budgeting, mental health and wellbeing, training and employment, energy advice, housing, transport and digital inclusion. The programme was particularly successful in delivering one-to-one, home-based, personalised support, fostering trust, and empowering participants.

“We were going through a stressful time — the support really helped us all,” said one participant. “We got fresh strawberries and a turkey at Christmas — it just lifted every one of us,” said another participant.

Around 80% of households supported included someone living with a disability or long-term health condition, with 41% of participating households disclosing mental health issues. 75 households received referrals for dedicated emotional wellbeing support.

The programme worked in partnership with over 40 local and regional organisations, including Community Advice Fermanagh, Omagh Independent Advice Services, Action for Children, Housing Executive, St Vincent de Paul, Sure Start, the Western Health and Social Care Trust, and the local Community Transport providers, to ensure a coordinated and holistic response to the diverse challenges facing residents.

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff, commented on the support programme:

“One in four children in this region is living in poverty — meaning that they and their families lack the financial resources to maintain a decent standard of living. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact, particularly in rural areas like ours.

This poverty support programme is one of the ways the Council is responding — by providing financial support for food and essential items, and by helping people access the tailored services they need to improve their circumstances.

Our Council remains firmly committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our residents — physically, emotionally, and mentally.”

Speaking on behalf of the six organisations that delivered the WRAP Programme across Fermanagh and Omagh, Barry Boyle from Fermanagh Rural Community Network added:

“We welcomed this funding from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, the Department for Communities and the Public Health Agency as it provided the opportunity to work as a partnership of six locally based community organisations who are well established, known and trusted within our respective local communities to implement the Western Response & Action on Poverty (WRAP) Programme, by providing direct tailored support and assistance that has delivered significant positive benefits in terms of reducing poverty and improving wellbeing, for people across the entire District.”