The Bia initiative is staffed with participants from our Labour market scheme and resourced through SICAP, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme which is co-funded by the Irish Government, through the Department of Rural and Community Development, and the European Social Fund Plus under the Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme 2021 -2027. www.eufunds.ie
Our BIA project supports local families experiencing food poverty by providing food aid within the community. BIA works in partnership with local community groups to deliver this support.
Each week, through collaboration with organisations across the Bray and North Wicklow area, BIA assists approximately 70 families facing food poverty, as well as individuals experiencing homelessness.
The project sources surplus food through a paid membership with FoodCloud, collecting and redistributing this food locally. In 2024, the project also benefited from a donation by Fruition (formerly Eolas), a local recruitment company.
"Without the help from the Bia Food Project, we would struggle to provide as much as we do – both to the service-users who benefit from cooked meals in our day centre, and also the people in need who use our food bank, where we have seen a big increase in demand in recent times."
WH Five Loaves
"The food parcels provided by the Bia Food Project make a real difference to the families we support. With the recent increase in the cost of living, in some cases they are the only food in the house until pay day."
Sugarloaf Lions Club
Pictured, a recent BIA event where the Fruition MD met with community groups and BNWAP staff resourcing the BIA project.
Left-Right: Cillian Russell, BNWAP; Jim Ryan, Fruition; Michael Byrne, BNWAP; Eithne Gunning, BNWAP
To find out more call BIA on (01) 286 8266.