Esker House promoting ‘The Purple Hand Champion’ project in Monksland

Esker House Women's Refuge and Domestic Abuse Support Service, located in Athlone, is rolling out a new initiative where local businesses and organisations can receive training in the area of domestic violence advocacy (DVA).

Esker House provides temporary safe accommodation for women and their children, and support and information for women experiencing domestic abuse. It caters for many women in Roscommon and Galway as well as Westmeath.

Deirdre Berry, Head of Services at Esker House, said the service was excited to launch ‘The Purple Hand Champion’.

“The Purple Hand champion offers the opportunity for businesses, organisation and groups in the midlands to participate in training that will allow them to recognise and respond to DVA appropriately,” explained Deirdre.

“Once this training is completed the company will be awarded a purple hand to display within their business or service. This will alert women in the community that they are a Purple Hand Champion, and the establishment of a safe space for women to gain support and information regarding DVA,” she said.

Esker House is now extending the opportunity to the Monksland area to become the first ‘The Purple Hand Champion’ community.

“We are delivering our Purple Hand Champion training in Monksland Community Centre in the coming weeks and the invitation is extended to all local businesses and services in the Monksland area.

“This is Monkland’s opportunity to stand in unity with the women of their community and to prove to perpetrators of domestic abuse that there is nowhere left where domestic abuse will be tolerated or excepted.

“We have had loads of interest in this campaign and are in the planning stages with GAA and sporting clubs to bring this to their club and extended community. Training has already commenced with hairdressers and local councillors,” said Deirdre.

Esker House is also inviting hotels, pharmacies, companies, big and small, to get on board.

“The success of this project will rely on public engagement. Long has domestic abuse been a hidden secret in our communities and homes, people did not know what to say or do, people will say it is a private matter,” said Deirdre. “One if four women in Ireland experience domestic abuse, we need to let women know where to go for support, we need to empower our community to respond to this, we need to show perpetrators of abuse that abuse of any sort has no place in our community.” Local Athlone councillor Frankie Keena, one of the many local representatives signed up to the training in the coming weeks, acknowledges the importance of this project.

“I feel the Esker Project and the training it is providing is essential ensure public representatives are informed and ready to respond appropriately. I am meeting people every day, talking and assisting them with various issues. It is important to be aware of the services available to the community,” he said.

Sarah Jayne Brennan, co-ordinator of training and engagement at Esker House, is urging people to reach out and engage in ‘The Purple Hand Champion’ project. “All it takes is for one person in the organisation, club or group to take an interest, build the momentum, get in touch and get working on tackling this issue,” she said.

If anyone is interested in getting involved, they can contact the training and community engagement co-ordinator by emailing eskerproject@eskerhouse.ie The Purple Hand Champion is one of several targeted initiatives under the ‘Esker Project’, which is funded by the Community Innovation Fund under the Department of Justice.

In January of this year, Esker House was successful in its application for this funding. It is the first time the service has had the resources to conduct awareness raising campaigns and focus on delivering capacity training.  Esker House utilised this funding to establish the Esker Project, which ranged from brief training series that will cover topics such as coercive control, post separational abuse, children and domestic violence abuse, and legal support.

Esker House is now also resourced to delivering bespoke workshops in schools in relation to health relationships and gendered based violence.

The service also launched its 24-hour freephone helpline earlier this month. It operates a 24-Hour Crisis Helpline 0906474122 or freephone 1800662288.

Esker House also provides temporary refuge accommodation, support and information service, court support services and specialist services for children and young people.