KERRIE Flood, CEO of Fermanagh Women’s Aid, is just five months into her new role, and she says she ‘couldn’t be any prouder’ of her team after nearly 500 women reached out for help this year.
The mother-of-four took on the leadership of Fermanagh Women’s Aid from Mary McCann, who led the organisation for 20 years.
It’s a responsibility that Kerrie doesn’t take lightly.
“It’s not lost on me that this is a really privileged position to be in. I’m very lucky that I’ve been here since 2011 and I’d trust these women with my life,” she told the ‘Herald.
“I know the service and I’ll stand over it. The key for me is that the team here feel supported.”
Kerrie heads up a 13-member team at Fermanagh Women’s Aid, based in Enniskillen. The charity receives 35 per-cent of its funding from the British Government, with the rest relying on public donations.
Despite financial constraints, the staff’s dedication remains unwavering.
“The team here are the unspoken emergency service,” Kerrie said.
“We’ve had so many donations this year, and our team stays late to ensure donations get out to families during the festive period.”
Kerrie emphasised that while high-profile cases of domestic violence often make the news, it’s the 500 women in Fermanagh who have been helped by the charity this year who may not always be recognised.
“I couldn’t be prouder of them,” she said.
Police Inspector Joni Beatty recently told Fermanagh and Omagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership that they respond to an incident of domestic abuse, on average, every 17 minutes.
Kerrie recognises the “significant issue” of domestic violence cases locally and she fears that the number of females affected is higher than reported.
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