Roscommon domestic abuse service launches new website

Photo: David O'Connor, Chairperson of Roscommon Safe Link, and Anne Carey, Project Manager of Roscommon Safe Link at the launch of their new website.

Roscommon Safe Link, the domestic abuse and violence frontline service in the county, has launched their new website in recent days.

The site - roscommonsafelink.ie - is designed to be the first point of contact for women and men who are experiencing domestic abuse and coercive control.

Speaking at the launch this week, Roscommon Safe Link Chairperson, David O’Connor said: “This new website is very important for us; it spreads our message and creates awareness for the service. We need this website to do three jobs for us; be a first point of contact for those in need of urgent help, be an information base for the general public and it also now has a facility to allow us to raise funds".

“The site is welcoming yet quite simple in design. We say who we are, offer help, and then provide support when people make contact with us. I would also like to acknowledge the creativity and generosity of Martin Palmer of Palmeroni Design, in the construction of the new website,” David added.

Roscommon Safe Link is a non-profit charitable organisation based in Boyle, that offers information, support and counselling to women and men in all corners of the county, north, and south.

The service is available to those who experience domestic violence and to those who have experienced domestic violence and abusive situations in the past.

“At Roscommon Safe Link we offer confidential information, support, and counselling to people in or who have left domestic violence or abusive situations,” Anne Carey, Project Manager of the service says of Roscommon Safe Link.

“We currently offer an array of services and programmes to clients. The new website allows us to detail these services which include, immediate crisis response to women and men, advocacy and accompaniment to court, Gardai, legal aid, social services, and other services as required as well as guidance, information and understanding of domestic abuse for those indirectly affected,” she added.

The recent national health crisis has presented Roscommon Safe link with two major issues; an increased demand for its service and a huge drop in fundraising. One of the main sources of fundraising for the organisation was its second-hand clothes shop in Boyle. Increased restriction on the small charity shops means that reopening the outlet in the coming months is highly unlikely.

“Providing our service is of course our main focus and while we receive funding from supporting bodies, our additional fundraising is very important to us. We can offer help and advice to volunteer fundraisers so, if anyone wants to make a donation or organise an event for us, that would be a great help to us at this time,” Anne Carey added.

The new Roscommon Safe Link website and social media platforms now incorporate fundraising facilities for the first time. Anyone wishing to assist with fundraising can make contact with Roscommon Safe Link on 071 9664200 and through the new website, roscommonsafelink.ie