Esker House expands services across Westmeath

Esker House Domestic Violence Support Service has announced a major expansion of its work across Westmeath, with a new office now operating in Mullingar and increased supports available to women and families throughout the county.

The service, which has long supported women in Athlone and surrounding areas, is now the dedicated domestic violence support service for the whole of Westmeath following the closure of the previous Mullingar-based service.

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“We’ve expanded from Athlone right across Westmeath, focusing particularly on the Mullingar area,” said Deirdre Berry, Head of Services, Esker House. “We’ve seen a huge spike in referrals from the Mullingar area.”

Esker House currently provides a wide range of supports, including refuge accommodation, a 24-hour freephone helpline, court accompaniment, community support services and specialised supports for children impacted by domestic violence.

“We’re the only refuge at the moment in the entire Midlands area,” said Deirdre. “The nearest refuge to us would be Galway, Mayo or Dublin, so there’s a huge need for the service here.”

The organisation is also preparing for the future with the development of a new refuge in Athlone, while continuing to expand its community engagement and prevention work across the county.

One of the most visible parts of that work is the Purple Hand Initiative, a county-wide programme that trains local businesses, clubs and organisations to safely recognise and respond to domestic violence disclosures.

“The whole idea is that an organisation or group is trained to recognise, respond, and link directly with local domestic violence services,” Deirdre explained.

Participating businesses and organisations display a purple hand symbol in their window, signalling that staff have received domestic violence awareness training and can provide information in a safe and confidential way.

“We’ve worked with GAA clubs, hairdressers, hotels and many other organisations,” she said.

“We now have over 65 organisations in Westmeath trained through the initiative, with more than 600 people trained.”

Importantly, the initiative focuses on safe and appropriate responses, rather than asking community members to intervene directly.

“It’s about activating people in a very safe way to be able to respond,” Deirdre said. “The people trained aren’t going to get involved in their life. It’s a very specific intervention.”

Esker House is also encouraging greater community involvement through volunteering and awareness initiatives.

While the organisation does not currently have active volunteers in place, Deirdre said there are growing opportunities for people to support the service through community events, fundraising and engagement projects.

Recent local initiatives have included support from festivals, sporting organisations and community-led fundraising events, all helping to raise awareness of domestic violence supports across Westmeath.

“The fundraising is fantastic because it gives money directly back to women, but it also creates awareness of the issue within the community, and that’s priceless,” Deirdre said.

She also highlighted the importance of understanding the complexities surrounding domestic violence situations and ensuring women are supported safely and appropriately.

“We help women do risk assessments themselves and figure out how to stay safe,” she said.

As awareness of the service continues to grow, Esker House is encouraging anyone affected by domestic violence, including family members seeking advice, to make contact.

“Victim-survivors or family members can ring us,” said Deirdre. “We support family members as well, giving them guidance on the best way to handle a situation or get advice.”

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