SOUTH ARMAGH RURAL WOMEN'S NETWORK

SARWN is a voluntary organisation established to articulate the voice of rural women and to help and support community based women's groups and individual women to achieve their goals, by providing advice, information, guidance, training and educational opportunities in local venues. SARWN is the umbrella group of other local women's groups. SARWN aims to be the 'voice of rural women' from the wider South Armagh area, the Directors and staff represent rural women on committees which benefit to it's members. SARWN provides local women and local women's groups with advice on how to establish, run and govern voluntary organisations, how to access funding and SARWN gives assistance where necessary on how to complete an application form. SARWN works in partnership with other voluntary women's groups from both sides of the border and seeks to disseminate information on local issues, policies, rural issues etc. SARWN offers a range of courses to its members including ICT classes, to Personal Development Training, Reconciliation training, conflict resolution, equality and diversity training and various arts and crafts. SARWN also have a befriending service which they offer to their members. Incorporated in 1999, SARWN emerged from Women on Rural Development. SARWN offers social support to the community including a befriending scheme and walking group as well as personal development training and health and wellbeing workshops. SARWN has a membership of over 100 women from rural South Armagh. The majority of women are aged 60 years and older with almost 20% of the members being carers. All have suffered as a result of the conflict.