Meath’s champion ladies support women’s refuge

Meath Women’s Refuge and Support Services launched its new five-year strategic plan alongside members of the Meath Senior Ladies GAA All-Ireland winning team last week.

The new strategy will guide the organisation’s work to empower women and children who experience domestic violence and abuse on their journey to safety, wellbeing, and recovery.

In 2021, the organisation supported 495 women and 123 children through its refuge, community and children’s services. In addition, they managed 2,133 helpline calls in 2021 and 163 calls with parents concerned about their children.

“Our new strategic plan is built on the needs presented to us by women we consulted, our experience as a frontline organisation during Covid 19 and our plans for future development and growth over the next five years," says Sinéad Smith, manager of Meath Refuge and Support Services.

“Our new strategy aims to expand refuge accommodation to twelve units, through the building of a new refuge for Meath, representing a 40 per cent increase in emergency refuge. In addition, we hope to increase safe houses in a number of locations across the county to ensure families have access to other options alongside refuge.”

Chairperson Sinéad Gogan, said: “Our strategy was developed alongside the new National Strategy that Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, will launch in late June. It complements and illustrates our determination as an organisation to play our part in eliminating gender-based violence in Ireland.

“The organisation will manage its largest project to date over the next two years when we build a new purpose-built refuge to serve Meath. This year marks 35 years since the refuge was set up.”