Celebrating our Collaboration with Cinemagic Stars
Over 1.5 tonnes in food donations have been distributed across Northern Ireland since February 2022 as part of the Cinemagic Young Audiences Supporting Foodbanks Initiative. Rather than paying for ticket to gain entry to see new family movies, those attending Cinemagic foodbank film screenings were asked to donate essential food items to support local community foodbanks.
In partnership with The Trussell Trust, Cinemagic delivered 21 foodbank film screenings across Northern Ireland in towns including Armagh, Ballymena, Belfast, Bellaghy, Lisburn and Portstewart. The initiative engaged with 2,600 young cinemagoers and the donations have equated to over 3,500 meals for local communities in Northern Ireland. The regional events were supported by the BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund, awarding funds from National Lottery.
Causeway Foodbank were delighted to be part of the screening of the movie, Sing 2, hosted at Flowerfield Arts Centre. 92kg of food was donated for Causeway Foodbank from over 120 children and families who came along to watch the movie!
Across all of the venues and audiences in cinemas across Northern Ireland, Cinemagic has been able to raise over 1.5 tonnes in donations , which equate to 3500 meals for those in need!
Belfast Lord Mayor, Christina Black said “I’d like to thank Cinemagic for the wonderful work that they’re doing, not only to give much needed support to local communities through foodbanks during these really challenging times, but also to raise children and young people’s awareness of the need to support each other in our communities, and to do all that we can to help tackle poverty and inequality. My thanks also to all of the young Cinemagic audiences who gave so generously and made a real difference.”
Bruce Gardiner-Crehan, Manager for South Belfast Foodbank said “This innovative idea, to bring the thrill and magic of cinema and tie it closely to the local community that seeks to make a positive difference in the lives of those affected by poverty is an absolutely unique idea. It helps young people and children to understand that some people struggle to make ends meet and that it’s up to all of us to play a small part. Empowering and creating a new generation of justice seekers that care for people is a wonderful thing that we wholeheartedly support. Thank you so much for helping people most in need.”
Jonny Currie, Northern Ireland Network Lead, The Trussell Trust said “As we head into a very challenging winter period for our food banks, the partnership with Cinemagic is so important to help make sure our network has enough supplies of emergency food to support people in crisis. No one should have to rely on emergency food, and we are delighted that this partnership enables us to raise awareness of poverty among younger audiences.”
Press Information: Claire Shaw, Cinemagic Press Officer