St Mark’s fundraising drive for Saoirse
St Mark's members Patrick Murphy, David Kearns and Graham Browne with Cora McCann from Saoirse Domestic Violence Services and little Fiadh and Béibhinn

St Mark’s fundraising drive for Saoirse

ST MARK’S GAA club is continuing its partnership with Saoirse Domestic Violence Services in fundraising for both organisations through a Pedal Power Fundraiser on February 11 and 12.

Over two days in The Square Towncentre, the Pedal Power Fundraiser will see volunteers try to cover 1,500km on spin bikes while raising funds through bucket-shaking and a GoFundMe.

“St Mark’s GAA Club in partnership with Saoirse Domestic Violence Services are joint fundraising to raise funds for new equipment to support multiple teams across all age groups and help Saoirse in continuing to provide their outreach and refuge services,” a spokesperson for the Springfield club said.

“Saoirse has and continues to do amazing work since their inception in 2006 in providing a safe space for women and children experiencing domestic violence in the home.

“We are happy to partner with Saoirse in this fundraiser to help them to continue to provide their much-needed services in the community.”

Domestic violence is an escalating pattern of abuse where one partner in a relation abuses and controls the other through force, intimidation, fear or the threat of violence.

While Saoirse operates a refuge house for women and children in both Tallaght and Rathcoole, the charity also offers a broad spectrum of domestic violence services.

Saoirse’s services include a 24-hour helpline, safe refuge accommodation, children’s support services, community outreach and court accompaniment.

Working in the community, Saoirse also offers training education workshops to try break the cycle of gender-based violence through preventative measures.

Fundraising has a key role in continuing to provide these services, says Cora McCann from Saoirse Domestic Violence Services.

“St Mark’s GAA Club kindly supported Saoirse Domestic Violence Services with our Christmas appeal and that enabled us to reach approximately 100 families in the South Dublin area,” Cora said.

“That was families in refuge and out in the community.

“We are very grateful to St Mark’s for picking our charity to assist us with further donations as families who access refuge or our outreach services highly rely on donations from the community for financial assistance.”

Expanding on that point, Stacey Dwyer, Keyworker with Saoirse Domestic Violence Services told The Echo that the charity has a heavy reliance on public support.

“Saoirse Women’s Refuge relies heavily on the supports of the public to assist many of the women whom access our refuges,” she said.

“Funding plays a key role in aiding a woman to avoid financial distress.

“Many women accessing refuge do so with no financial supports as a result of the coercive control experienced in the home preventing women from having financial access or financial stability.

“This funding helps support women and children until financial supports can be secured for them through job search or other means.

“Funding received from the public is a major factor in empowering these women and helping them gain control of their lives again offering them a second chance.”

Visit www.sdvs.ie for further information on Saoirse Domestic Violence Services or call their 24-hour helpline on 01 463 000 if you are experience domestic violence.

The Pedal Power Fundraiser will take place on February 11/12 in The Square (Level Two – outside Fields Jewellers) and donations are also currently being accepted at: www.gofund.me/fb7d0626

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