Funding boost for counselling at local charity

COUNSELLING services for women and children will be provided by West Cork Women against Violence (WCWAV), thanks to local fundraising.

Marie Mulholland, co-ordinator of Bantry based West Cork Women against Violence (WCWAV) said she was delighted to have received €1,000 from Skibbereen Masonic Lodge as the project’s counselling budget was running out.

The donation was presented to her by Patrick Evans, who is a member of the Lodge.

‘The Skibbereen Masonic Lodge supports many local charities and when they heard our counselling budget was running out, immediately offered this relief,’ Marie said.

WCWAV has been established for 20 years and deal with approximately 200 women with up to 500 children affected each year. The organisation is run by Marie, full-time coordinator, three part-time support workers, and one part-time administrator.

On the board of directors sits a diverse range of experts including an abuse survivor and a member of An Garda Síochána.

Rental and core costs for running WCWAV are provided by TUSLA, the Child and Family Protection Agency.

‘We offer various out-reach programmes; parenting, counselling, schools programme, and help with housing but, the lack of a safe house in West Cork is a major drawback.

‘The only safe house currently available to us is located in Cork city and seldom has places for our clients from West Cork,’ says Marie.

As recently reported in this newspaper, WCWAV have received funding to establish a safe house in West Cork.

Once established, the next challenge will be to equip the safe house and fund its ongoing running costs.

Marie says that acts of kindness, like voluntary donations, are a lifeline to organisations such as theirs.

‘We very much hope that the community and charitable organisations, such as the Masonic Lodge, will continue to support us as they have so generously in the past,’ she added.

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