Live Here Love Here Small Grant for SERC

SERC have received a Live Here Love Here Small Grant to help support their work with local food banks.

Paul Mercer, Principal Lecturer, School of Hospitality at SERC said, “We are delighted to have been awarded £1,670 funding under the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme 2025.

“Since 2021, SERC has partnered with food banks in the SERC community to combat food poverty. Our work has included catering for events, cookery demonstrations using food bank staples, and turning surplus food into frozen meals for users of the food banks. This new funding will help us expand our work through a Grow Your Own Vegetables project, where students with mild to moderate learning disabilities will help cultivate vegetables to support our food bank efforts."

He added, “We plan to create four gardening groups for students at SERC Campuses in Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards.  We want to empower participants through gardening which will in turn promote their personal growth and skill development and help improve their social skills through teamwork and friendship.  

“This ambitious project will challenge stereotypes of people with learning difficulties, but we believe it will foster understanding in the community and promote inclusivity.   When there is a need in the community, everyone can contribute, and everyone can make positive impact given the right opportunities.  Our students will be involved in every stage of food production, from cultivation, to harvesting, to donating to the local food banks.   The heart of the project is about stronger community ties and people and organisations uniting for a common goal.”

Poly tunnels are currently being installed in Bangor and Newtownards Campuses which will be followed by Downpatrick and Lisburn Campuses.