The Links Group have been busy sharing news of our events and those of our partners and allied professionals over these 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2025.
On this, the final day, we attended the launch of a pilot Equine-assisted Therapy and Learning Early Help Project in the beautiful surroundings of Foyle Women’s Aid Ashley Wood House. This project for women and children who have experienced domestic abuse in the North West area is funded by the Department Of Health and jointly organised by the Western Health & Social Care Trust and Foyle Women’s Aid. The programme is delivered in partnership with Gortilea Social Farm.
A common thread throughout the speeches on the day was the need to work in an effective partnership to successfully tackle the problems of gender-based violence against women and girls. They also highlighted that domestic abuse affects men and boys and the role that men and boys play in saying no to gender-based violence.
Speakers included:
the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, Peter May
the Chair of the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT), Dr Tom Frawley
Marie Brown, CEO of Foyle Women’s Aid
Ursula Mc Elroy, Public Protection Unit, WHSCT
Aine Morrison, Chief Social Work Officer, WHSCT
and Gillian Moss, Head of Client Services, North West Regional College.
Congratulations to the staff of Foyle Women’s Aid and the WHSCT, who received certificates on completing their Level 3 Award in Preventing & Tackling Domestic Abuse at North-West Regional College.
Foyle Women’s Aid sits with the Foyle Family Justice Centre in Derry~Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The Links Group is proud to be an off-site partner of the Justice Centre, the only one of its kind in the UK and Ireland.
Tonight, we will attend a candlelight vigil organised by Foyle Women’s Aid and the Foyle Family Justice Centre in memory of women who have lost their lives to violence to mark the close of this 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in Guildhall Square in the city. Family members of Katie Simpson and Montserrat Elias, two women who were the victims of gender-based violence, will speak from their very personal perspectives of the impact of their deaths, emphasising why we must all work together to break the cycle of abuse and violence.
