The future of Dundalk Women’s Aid was officially secured yesterday evening after the centre’s Council of Management signed a new Service Level Agreement, which will allow them to receive funding of €50,000 per year from Louth Local Authorities
The funding had been agreed by Louth County Council and Dundalk Town Council earlier this month but was only officially signed off on yesterday – 32 days before the refuge was due to close.
Dundalk Women’s Aid had announced that they had no option but to close their doors on Friday June 27th because of cutbacks in funding.
However, having survived that scare they are now looking forward to a bright future of helping women.
The Council of Management released the following statement yesterday welcoming the funding and thanking all those who had supported them over the last few difficult weeks.
The statement read: “We received the signed and sealed Service Level Agreement from Louth Local Authority for €50000 per annum today. We are delighted to announce that we will NOT be closing our much needed refuge on the 27th of June 2014.
“We want to extend our deep gratitude for the overwhelming support that has brought us to where we are today. Thanks to all of you who followed, liked, shared and retweeted. To those who wrote to us and in support of us to challenge the decision to allocate a maximum of €20000 for the running costs of our refuge.
“Thanks to all of the media in Louth, Cavan and Monaghan and to our local media for keeping the conversation going, in particular Michael Reade and his team at LMFM, Marissa and Edel and the team at Dundalk FM. Thanks to our local newspapers for their continued coverage, in particular Olivia Ryan who has been reporting on the story since last year.
“Thanks to our local representatives who understood the gravity of the situation, organised emergency meetings of Louth County Council and Dundalk Town Council unanimously voted no confidence in the National Directive, undertaking to petition central government and allocating €15000 from each council as an emergency support.
“Thanks to our public representatives for their invaluable support, particularly Councillor Edel Corrigan, Councillor Tomás Sharkey and Senator Mary Moran who have been supporting us since we first raised awareness of this pending crisis in July 2013.
“On behalf of the women and children who are currently using our refuge and for those who will now continue to have refuge in the future, we thank you and invite you to join us as we move forward.
“We will be hosting an open information evening on the 5th of June. For further information please contact 042 9333245.”
As well as that open evening, a fundraiser for Dundalk Women’s Aid will take place in The Spirit Store this Sunday evening from 5pm until late.
The fundraiser will feature performances from the likes of Redtwelve, Manifesto, Sophie Coyle, Jinx Lennon, Kirkface Killah, DJ Conan’s Disco and more.
Admission is €5, which is the minimum donation on the day, but all amounts above this are most welcome.
Dundalk band Redtwelve have been nominated for RTÉ 2XM’s ‘Song of the Week’ for their track Get Away.
Talk of the Town 