Shining a Light on Domestic Violence in South Dublin and West Wicklow
Domestic violence remains one of the most deeply rooted and under-addressed societal challenges, affecting individuals, families, and communities around the World. Every day, families in Ireland face the hidden trauma of domestic violence. Determined to take a stand, students from TU Dublin’s School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship teamed up with local charity SAOIRSE Domestic Violence Services to raise awareness, support survivors, and help drive meaningful social change.
This inspiring collaboration unfolded through Students Learning with Communities+ (SLWC+), a real-world learning programme at TU Dublin where students bring theory outside of classroom walls.
Their project, titled ‘Raising awareness of social injustice in communities affected by domestic violence in South Dublin and West Wicklow’ was Led by lecturers, Hilda Burton and Dr Patricia Medcalf, in collaboration with Advertising and Marketing Communications (TU919) and Marketing Management (TU923) students, domestic violences charity SAOIRSE, and was supported Sustainability Education Lead Dr Lucia Walsh. It aimed to shine a spotlight on a social crisis that often remains in the dark.
Freedom from fear
SAOIRSE Domestic Violence Services supports over 500 families in the South Dublin and West Wicklow region each year, offering safe accommodation, crisis intervention, and holistic care for those experiencing domestic violence. Their mission extends beyond immediate safety and advocating for stronger policies; through community engagement, the charity promotes prevention and works to raise awareness to challenge harmful perceptions.
The organisation aligns closely with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly: SDG 5: Gender Equality, which has a primary focus to eliminate violence against women and girls; SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions , a goal which strives to foster inclusive societies and access to justice.
By supporting SAOIRSE, students weren’t just completing an assignment; they were contributing to a broader objective - equity, justice, and social transformation.
Partnering for Impact - A Real-World Learning Experience
The co-learning collaboration was beneficial for students, lecturers and the charity. Their project sought to apply their knowledge to a real-world social issue and to deepen their understanding of the ripple effects of domestic violence across families and communities. They discovered the increasing demand for SAOIRSE’s services and the rising costs of providing them.
Inspired to act, the students designed two high-impact events to support the cause. As part of their Events and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) module, students worked closely with Leanne Ryan (SAOIRSE Outreach Prevention and Training Manager) and Lesley Barrett (SAOIRSE Refuge Coordinator) to plan and execute awareness events and fundraising campaigns.
Endorsing the project and the SLWC+ programme, Lesley Barrett, Refuge Coordinator at SAOIRSE said: “It’s fantastic to hear about the students' enthusiasm and their fundraising efforts for SAOIRSE. We're incredibly grateful for their support! We found it so rewarding to connect with the students and to share more about SAOIRSE’s mission. TU Dublin’s SLWC+ initiative is amazing, thank you for considering SAOIRSE for this opportunity! It’s such a wonderful way to create impact and build awareness about the collaboration.”
Event 1: Freedom From Fear - An educational event about domestic violence with the objective of raising awareness for the charity
Held at TU Dublin’s Tallaght campus, the event featured a powerful panel discussion with speakers including Lesley Barrett, SAOIRSE, Derek Byrne, Men’s Aid Ireland, and Ciara Carew, Primary School Teacher, Our Lady Immaculate JNS, Darndale.
Together, they addressed domestic violence across diverse communities, including women, children, and the LGBTQ+ population. The event was promoted via Instagram, where the team grew their follower base by over 226 followers. They raised €200 through a sponsored raffle supported by local businesses like The Vault Gym and Pretty Little Homewares. Students decorated the venue with SAOIRSE promotional materials and refreshments, with the branding and delivery of the event earning praise from the charity. The opportunities for personal development were significant.
According to some of the participating students:
“There was a positive team atmosphere marked by mutual respect and shared commitment. We hosted three engaging speakers, and our Instagram page gained over 226 followers.”
“From the perspective of group work, I think what worked well for our event was the good collaboration between all the group members. Everyone was nice and involved, especially with people like me [an Erasmus student], for whom it was a bit more difficult to fully engage.... As for the event itself, I really enjoyed the participation of the speakers and the raffle, which went very well. Everything was quite well organised, and the different parts flowed together smoothly”.
“We were well prepared in every way for our event and ran into very few problems on the day. Any problems we faced, we were able to rectify quickly. Our speakers were well thought out and spoke about every aspect of domestic violence from every angle we could think of. We had great interactions with students on purchasing raffle tickets and we had great feedback from our sponsors.”
Event 2: Blingo Bingo - A fundraiser for SAOIRSE
On 10 April 2025, the second group of students hosted a vibrant music bingo event at The Old Mill pub in Tallaght. With an energetic MC, DJ, entertainment, and a lively buzz on social media, the night was very well supported and a great success. Their digital campaign across Instagram and LinkedIn attracted sponsors such as LIDL, Boojum, Dolce Desserts, and Ballinascorney Lodge. The event raised nearly €2,000 for SAOIRSE.
Empowering students, supporting communities
This SLWC+ project exemplifies how education can be a powerful tool for social transformation. By applying classroom knowledge to urgent community needs, students can build empathy, leadership, and a sense of social responsibility.
Speaking about the project TU Dublin Lecturer, Patricia Medcalf, said:
“It is fantastic when initiatives like this marry module learning outcomes with personal development and societal good.”
TU Dublin Lecturer, Hilda Burton, concluded commenting:
“The SLWC+ Roundtable event in April was particularly impactful because it allowed our students to see how various projects in other disciplines were addressing social issues.”
Through this collaboration, the students were given the opportunity to gain insight into the social impact of domestic violence within communities. They developed an appreciation for the complexity of stakeholders involved in addressing this problem and empathised with those who have experienced domestic violence in their lives. SAOIRSE benefitted through the students’ insights and research on the charity sector in Ireland and from the funding raised by the events that they staged.
