The impact of poverty in communities will be highlighted at a festival this weekend.
The Foodstock Festival, which takes place at the Mandela Hall, will also see participants encouraged to bring non-perishable food items that will help fill the shelves of foodbanks across Belfast.
Foodstock founder Paul Doherty said: ‘’With one in five children living in poverty here, one in 10 households struggling to afford basic items, and an increasing number of working families now falling into financial hardship, foodbanks are sadly providing a real lifeline to many right across our city who are living in crisis.
‘’We have been running this festival since 2019 with the main aim of raising awareness of the impacts of poverty in our communities as well as providing a practical response by helping fill the shelves of foodbanks across the city.”
On Sunday, musical acts such as Simon and Oscar from Ocean Colour Scene, The Vals, Susie Blue and Lonely Astronauts, will take to the stage at the free festival.
“The key message of this year’s event will also be about raising awareness around the Right To Food campaign, which calls for ‘access to food to be a basic human right for all’,” Mr Doherty added.
“Started by Labour MP Ian Byrne, it has created awareness and driven change around the food poverty that exists in many of our communities.”
