Consent

Campus Consent Champions

In 2023, The Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Programme Coordinator, in collaboration with the Active* Consent programme initiated the recruitment of our inaugural cohort of Campus Consent Champions at the University of Galway. These exceptional individuals played a pivotal role in contributing to positive change on our campus. Equipped with specialized training in consent & digital intimacy workshop facilitation, they actively conducted numerous workshops and informative stalls, contributing significantly to our ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of consent and awareness.

Campus Consent Champion - Workshops

Peer-to-peer education holds significant importance, particularly in discussions surrounding consent. Our dedicated champions took the initiative to conduct workshops for fellow students, contributing to the establishment of a consenting campus culture at the University of Galway. These workshops covered crucial topics such as consent and digital intimacy, fostering a comprehensive understanding of respectful and responsible behavior among our student community.

Promotional Stalls

With a keen interest in cultivating a positive consent culture on campus, our champions hosted diverse information and promotional stalls at various events on campus. These stalls not only served as informative hubs but also provided a safe space for students to learn about consent and relevant initiatives from their peers. Additionally, students had the opportunity to actively contribute to activities such as "the green flag" initiative, further enriching their engagement with the promotion of consent awareness on our campus.

Active* Artists

Active* Artists

In Spring 2024, Active* Consent and the University of Galway's Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Program Coordinator collaborated on the “Active* Artists” project to recruit a group of passionate students at the University of Galway who merge their love for art with their commitment to campus consent culture.

An open call was made to students with an interest in art to help devise and create a mural to promote consent on campus. The plan was to create a stunning mural that will serve as a powerful reminder to our campus community about the importance of consent. The energy and enthusiasm the talented artists brought to the project was truly inspiring. The project consisted of multiple workshops. Participants were guided through the process of devising a mural while learning more about using art for social change and consent culture change.

Students got involved for various reasons:

• To be part of making a beautiful mural on campus!
• To learn more about creative consent communication and art for social change
• To try out a range of art skills and materials
• To meet and make new friends

A total of 15 volunteers took part in a series of 3 evening workshops in March during which the mural was devised, and a further 2 full-day workshops in April during which the final mural design was painted. A newspaper article was also published to raise awareness about this initiative.

After the mural, many volunteers expressed interest in continuing with the Active* Artists project, and reported having learned more about sexual consent, art activism and interpersonal skills:

“I loved getting to meet new people and having the opportunity to work with them on a creative project and seeing their perspective and ideas.”

“Watching an idea come to life through collaboration and the power of many hands”.

“It was really fun to see everyone's ideas come together into one final piece.”

“I’m more interested in the topic [of consent] since participating.”

“This project enhanced my knowledge of sexual consent by highlighting its foundational role in fostering mutual respect.”

Additional Volunteer Options

A.S.S.C. (Accompaniment Support Services for Children) | FORENSIC AND COURT SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN

A.S.S.C specialise in providing court and forensic accompaniment to young people and their families who have been victims of crime, or witnesses to crime.

Do you think you have some spare time to support these young people and their families, in a kind and compassionate way ? Our service is expanding nationwide and we already have trained accompaniment support volunteers based across the country, but we need more

Our service offers :

• Pre-trial meetings to familiarise the young person and their family with the layout of the court.
• DVD statement viewing accompaniment, to give moral support.
• Trial accompaniment, to offer emotional and practical support.
• Phone support, both pre and post-trial.
• A Forensic /medical examination accompaniment.

No formal qualifications are required. What we look for is empathy, a willingness to help and to able to treat each person with dignity and respect, as well as understanding the need to maintain confidentiality. Daytime availability is also very useful. You will need to be over 22 years of age and have excellent English.

We operate a rota system whereby you can choose the days and times which suit you. It is important to note that even though you have chosen a day or time, if there is no ongoing court case or forensic case, you will not be called, so the commitment is not too onerous.

We have a comprehensive training course which takes place over 2 weekends will give you the confidence to fulfil the role. We will also require 2 references and garda vetting. If you would like more information about volunteering with us, please contact Margaret Dent at volunteercoordinator@assc.ie