Almost €37,500 Raised For Rape Crisis Centre as Demand for Support Soars

The remarkable success of this year’s Midsummer’s Ladies Lunch has been hailed as a powerful demonstration of what community spirit can achieve, with almost €37,500 raised for the Wexford Rape Crisis Centre at a time when demand for its services has reached record levels.

The fundraising committee officially presented a cheque for €37,493.39, with organisers saying they were overwhelmed by the generosity shown by businesses, sponsors and the hundreds of women who attended the event.

Chair of the Midsummer’s Ladies Lunch fundraising committee, Fiona Gainfort, said while they had hoped to build on last year’s success, the final figure exceeded all expectations.

“We believed in the power of the community in Wexford and the power of women. Last year we raised €17,000 and we felt that, with everything we learned, we could harness that generosity even further. We went out into the community and there wasn’t a single closed door. It was open hearts and generosity everywhere we turned.”

Gainfort said the fundraising committee is immensely proud of what the event has achieved.

“I’d like everyone who supported the Midsummer’s Ladies Lunch to give themselves a huge round of applause because they have achieved something phenomenal for women, men and young people across County Wexford.”

The funds raised will directly finance approximately 749 additional counselling hours, allowing an estimated 62 survivors of sexual, domestic and gender-based violence to receive a full programme of counselling.

Chief Executive of the Wexford Rape Crisis Centre, Clare Williams, said the impact of the donation goes far beyond the financial figure.

“It’s difficult to put into words how valuable this is. Behind those 749 counselling hours are real people who will now be able to access counselling more quickly. It means we can respond faster when people reach out for help.”

Williams revealed the centre has already begun recruiting additional psychotherapists to provide the extra counselling sessions made possible by the fundraising effort.

The cheque presentation comes as the Wexford Rape Crisis Centre experiences its busiest period in more than a decade.

Williams revealed that new referrals between January and June 2026 have increased by 40%, describing it as the largest rise since she took up her role over twelve years ago.

The increase includes women, men and young people aged 12 and over seeking one-to-one counselling following experiences of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

While greater awareness of the centre’s services has encouraged more people to seek support, Williams believes there are wider societal issues at play.

“I think there are a number of factors. More people know about our service now and feel confident that help is available. But I also believe the incidences of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence are increasing. Years ago these issues often remained hidden behind closed doors. Today, thankfully, more people are coming forward and seeking the support they deserve.”

Despite months of planning one of Wexford’s biggest fundraising events, the committee isn’t taking a break just yet.

Gainfort confirmed the group will once again support the Wexford Rape Crisis Centre during Ladies Day at Wexford Racecourse on Thursday, August 7, where she will MC the event and donate her fee back to the charity.

Committee members will also be collecting donations on the day in the hope of pushing this year’s fundraising total beyond the €40,000 mark.

“We’ll be there with the buckets and hopefully we’ll bring that figure past €40,000. There’ll be bubbles, style and plenty of fun, and we’d love to see everyone who supported the Midsummer’s Ladies Lunch come along once again.”