Christmas offers no respite for women affected by domestic abuse. Many women and children spend the festive season walking on eggshells and experience physical violence, emotional abuse and coercive control. Many are forced to leave their homes and spend the holiday in our refuges or alone in the community.

Christmas should be a magical time for children but for a child suffering domestic abuse the festive season is far from magical.

HOWEVER, JUST AS THE ABUSE WON’T STOP FOR CHRISTMAS NEITHER DO WE.

Our refuges will be open 24 hours a day every day, including the 25th December and over New Year. Services are vital at this time of the year and we are committed to helping as many women and children as we can over the festive period. We need to continue to give women the opportunity to talk things through and offer them vital support and information.

The women and children who use our services so often have had so much taken from them. By donating a gift or a voucher, we can help bring a little joy to their winter. Your support in this way can make a big difference.

We’d like to encourage you to donate vouchers/gift vouchers/cash, to help us give women the freedom of choice in what they buy for themselves and their children. Here is our ‘wish list’ for the season:

– Vouchers / Gift Vouchers for women and children (One For All/Tesco/Lidl/Sainsbury's/M&S/Smyth's Toys/Primark/Dunnes/Boots)

– New boxed toys for all ages

– New boxed women’s gifts

– New boxed gifts for teenagers

– Cash (can be donated through this page)

If you know someone in need of help this holiday season, our dedicated team are here to help. Please call us on 028 9066 6049 to speak to our staff, or visit our website for further information.