BREAKING: West Cork Women Against Violence rebrands as West Cork Beacon to reflect changing role

THE West Cork Women Against Violence Project (WCWAVP) will now be called West Cork Beacon following a decision confirmed at its agm.

The Southern Star reported on Thursday that the group is now operating a new support helpline in West Cork for all survivors of sexual violence and the people who support them. And the name change allows them to present the organisation as a multi-support service, said Marie Mullholland, ceo of the charity.

‘Our name has served us well for over 20 years. However, it is long, it’s a bit clunky and the word ‘project’ suggests we’re only in it for the short term, which is absolutely not the case.’

The introduction of a new Sexual Violence Support service at the end of August – which is available to anyone aged 14 and upwards, male or female – provided the impetus to make the change.

Following a review involving both WCWAVP staff and supporters of the charity,  West Cork Beacon was chosen as the new name, with the tagline ‘Tackling Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence’.

‘The name does exactly what it says on the tin,’ said Marie Wiseman, of Wiser Marketing, who led the project from her position as board member at WCWAVP. ‘A beacon is defined as a light or other signal for guidance and it also signals safety, solidity and grounding, all of which fit well with the organisation’s values. And of course the Baltimore Beacon is one of the most iconic images of West Cork, so demonstrates the geography we cover.’

‘The word “tackling” in the sub text was important too’, added Mullholland. ‘A huge amount of the work we do is around challenging the presence of abuse in our society and community, and pushing for change in how abuse victims are treated and supported.  Indeed our internal vision is 'A West Cork without Domestic Abuse'. The word tackling pays heed to this and better reflects our values and work ethics.’

The logo was designed by Jenny Dempsey, who has provided graphic design solutions to organisations throughout West Cork, for the past 15 years. As well as a core logo for the organisation as a whole, there are sub logos for the two main parts of the organisation. That for the Domestic Abuse Support Services arm continues to feature the profile of a woman, reflecting the focus of that part of the charity, whilst that for the Sexual Violence Support Services arm is not specifically gendered, again reflecting their focus.

West Cork Beacon's new logo.

‘We needed to reassure both current and future clients, and the community as a whole, that the organisation hadn’t changed – only the name,’ said Jenny.

Mulholland emphasised that the new logo stayed true to the legacy and history of the organisation and the women who made it possible. Jenny Dempsey and Marie Wiseman respected that past and with their combined talents have produced the new image and identity of our organisation going into the future.’

Visit the organisation’s website at www.westcorkbeacon.ie to learn more or call them on 027-53847 or freephone 1800 203 136. You’ll also find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X).

The old logo for West Cork Women Against Violence.