Gardaí go purple for domestic violence campaign

This year NTDC Ascend Domestic Abuse Service for Women were invited to the Garda College in Templemore to mark National Go Purple Day to raise awareness for domestic abuse. As part of the event, the college kindly donated the cost of their individual breakfasts to Ascend to the sum of €1,500, which will go towards working with women from North Tipperary who are living with or survivors of domestic abuse.

Also on the day, the Ascend staff visited garda stations across the north of the county to see how they were promoting the event and raising awareness of supports for domestic abuse in North Tipp.

Explaining the background to the campaign, Patricia Whelan, Manager with NTDC Ascend, stated that the event was started a few years ago as a local event in Co Meath by Stacey Looby, a member of An Garda Síochána.

She did it to consolidate the community partnership between the gardaí and local domestic violence service and to raise funds within the community. Since then, with the support of Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, and the support of Safe Ireland, the campaign is being rolled out across the country.

“The colour purple represents love, strength, dignity and independence, all of which embrace the characteristics of a caring community, which resists violence against women and girls.”