Midsummer Ladies Lunch raise an incredible €34,350.20 for Rape Crisis Centre

The Event of the Summer!!

Midsummer Ladies Lunch raise an incredible €34,350.20 for Rape Crisis Centre

It was an incredible day!!  The Midsummer Ladies Lunch in aid of Wexford Rape Crisis Centre has raised a phenomenal €34,350.20 thanks to the amazing generosity of the Wexford community and the wonderful guests who attended the Event.  And online donations are still coming in. 

Newbay House was the stunning setting for the Lunch, set on 16 acres of gardens and woodland, and styled on the day by ‘Love at First Sight.’   A perfect setting for a perfect day, it commenced with a Prosecco Reception followed by a sumptuous four course lunch and wine.   270 glamorous ladies filled the room with great style, good humour and so much positivity.  

An amazing Raffle followed the meal which created much excitement and energy.  The Fundraising Committee thought last year’s Charity Raffle couldn’t be topped, but the donations this year from guests and absent friends were even higher.  So many amazing high value prizes on the day for which a huge thank you was extended to every artist and local business who donated, making it truly unforgettable.

The Lunch and Raffle was followed by a stunning Fashion Show featuring four guest Boutiques  – Frock, Ruby Rouge, Amy Janes, OTTIVA, and Landa Handbags – who brought style, glamour and flair to the runway. The four boutiques represented Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey and New Ross, as Wexford Rape Crisis Centre provides a service in each town. The Fashion Show was beautifully curated by Emma Jeffares who introduced the models and compared the style on the runway.  It finished with a ‘WOW’ final catwalk by all the models, with an added spark from Designer Elina Ostelé who shared some of her stunning designs

Behind the glamour, the fashion, and the fizz …there was however a higher purpose for the day.  The Midsummer Ladies Lunch exists for one reason: to support Wexford Rape Crisis Centre and the survivors who turn to them for help.   Thanks to this incredible support community, vital counselling hours are funded.   A safe space for survivors to speak their truth, and begin to heal. Every euro donated helps fund counselling hours …. hours where a survivor finds help and hope becomes possible. Because of this support, no one has to go through it alone. 

Clare Williams, CEO Wexford Rape Crisis Centre thanked the Midsummer Ladies Lunch Fundraising Committee ‘who have worked tirelessly over the past year on this absolutely amazing event’. She shared the somewhat shocking news that ‘Wexford Rape Crisis Centre is the 3rd largest RCC in Ireland, not by design but by demand.  It has tripled in size in the last six years.  We have approximately 400 active clients in counselling alongside an ever growing waiting list.  We struggle to keep up with the demand and fundraising events like this are critically important.  No survivor should have to wait for support. Survivors deserve better’.   

Ms Williams then introduced the Keynote speaker Regina Redmond, Poet and Author, who recently launched her second poetry collection Warrior Woman Truth Teller.  Regina spoke powerfully to a hushed room, sharing her own survivor story. ‘I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.  My journey towards that choice began when I was 26 years old, when I first reached out to Wexford Rape Crisis Centre.  It was challenging for me to reach out and the fact I didn’t have to wait was so important for my mental wellbeing’. 

Regina told the room ‘The path to healing isn’t always a straight line.  I found myself facing darkness.  But I knew I wasn’t alone.  WRCC was able to help me regain the confidence and the courage I needed to speak out.  Perpetrators want you to stay quiet.  They thrive in your silence because they know your voice is your power.  Because of the support of Wexford Rape Crisis Centre I didn’t just find my way, I found my words.  Those words led to the publication of my second book this past February, ‘Warrior Woman’.

She finished by saying ‘I am using my voice today to stand for everyone still in the dark.  I want to show you that no matter how deep the tunnel, the light is always waiting with the help and support of Wexford Rape Crisis Centre.  I have been tested, I have been challenged, but because of the support of this organisation and my own spirit … Still I rise’.  Regina received a standing ovation from a packed room, applauding her powerful words, and for her courage in sharing her journey

Verona Murphy, Ceann Comhairle commended the bravery of Regina Redmond who spoke with such honesty, and the work of the organising committee in raising both awareness and funds for this critical service.  

Fiona Gainfort, Chairperson, Midsummer Ladies Lunch and MC for the Event extended ‘a heartfelt thanks to our incredible Sponsors, you made this day possible, you led the way with generosity and heart.  None of this would be possible without an extraordinary community of people who said YES to supporting survivors. To our Counsellors, thank you, for listening, and for showing your support for Wexford Rape Crisis Centre.  To our amazing guests here today … we are filled with gratitude.  When you walked into Newbay House for the Midsummer Ladies Lunch, you were doing something powerful. You were saying that survivors in Wexford matter. What a powerful room full of women, a day of laughter, of clinking glasses, and of showing up to support.  Because of you, survivors in our community have a place to turn.’ 

Ms Gainfort summed up the day by saying ‘When women gather to uplift and support one another, a beautiful magic unfolds.  This solidarity not only strengthens individual resolve but reshapes entire communities, proving that we rise higher and shine brighter when we stand together.   Looking around this room I see exactly that. I see generosity.  I see compassion, I see friendship. And I see a room full of women who care deeply about making a difference!’

An incredible day and one that will be remembered!