Kilkenny's Amber Refuge to expand its services over five years

Kilkenny's Amber Women’s Refuge has unveiled plans to grow and evolve its refuge and community-based services for women and children across Kilkenny and Carlow over the next five years.

Established in 1995, Amber Women’s Refuge provides emergency refuge accommodation to women and children in Kilkenny city, as well as community-based outreach supports in Kilkenny city and county and in rural county Carlow.

Earlier this month, the organisation launched its Strategic Plan 2025–2029. Key highlights include:

• Expansion of services for children and young people impacted by domestic violence and abuse alongside their mothers
• Development of the post-refuge supports available to women and children after they leave refuge
• Increased access to Amber’s community-based support services, including Court Support and Accompaniment, for women living in Kilkenny and Carlow
• Sourcing, securing and ensuring the effective use of funding and resources to deliver a safe, supportive, client-centered and inclusive service to women and children living in Kilkenny and Carlow
• Increased awareness of domestic violence and abuse with relevant local agencies and frontline professionals to ensure consistency, collaboration and protective service responses to women and children who are victims/survivors of domestic abuse
• Spotlighting the impact of domestic violence and abuse on women in relation to the Law and National Housing Policy

The new plan also outlines a roadmap for Amber’s expansion with the development of a new refuge for women and children in Carlow town.

A preferred site for the new refuge was identified last year; Amber has since been notified of the approval of its CAS 1 funding application for the development of a refuge at this site. This approval marks the first step in the four-step Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) funding approval process for the development of the refuge in Carlow.

Amber has been advised by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that the four-step CAS funding process can take a minimum of 75 weeks from the date of funding approval. 

Lisa Morris, Manager of Amber Women's Refuge, said “The next five years will see the growth of Amber’s refuge and community-based services across Kilkenny and Carlow. 

"Over the course of our last Strategic Plan 2022–2024, we experienced cumulative increases in demand of up to 20% in some aspects of our service.

"Evolving to meet increasing need, while ensuring we continue to deliver safe, supportive, client-centered and inclusive services to women and children living in Kilkenny and Carlow will be central to our activities for the next five years.”

For Amber's 24/7 confidential helpline, call 0818 42 42 44.