Written by Maggie, BA Business (placement year) NTU Student

I began facilitating consent workshops in January of 2022, and they have easily been one of the best parts of my university experience. Apart from allowing me to contribute to an important cause that I am an advocate for, consent workshops have also helped me become a part of the most supportive and passionate community of students and staff. Being a facilitator enabled me to overcome my fear of public speaking and has empowered me to pursue more opportunities to contribute to raising awareness about sexual health and guidance.  

Having been a consent facilitator these past years, I have had the most wonderful opportunity to meet so many new students and network with fellow facilitators. The workshops have raised so many new perspectives on a topic I once believed had no room for any grey area. My experience has helped me become more open-minded and vocal about topics I once deemed too sensitive. It has helped me empathise more with survivors from different genders, religions and races.

The workshops primarily focus on sexual consent and about giving and receiving it, however workshops cover consent as a broad construct, outlining day-to-day instances that involve consent. The content includes an introduction to the topic, ice breaker questions, real life scenarios that assess evidence of consent and finally some myth busting. While the topic is a sensitive and serious one, the workshops are designed to be interactive, relatable and inclusive.

The consent team assists with all queries and concerns you might face during your time as a facilitator. They constantly provide feedback to make sure you make personal and professional progress over the course of your time as a facilitator. They have always been proactive and take great care to consistently offer support to students and to facilitators.

Consent is a concept that is relevant to all genders, races, religions and these workshops use real-life scenarios to break barriers and challenge the common generalisations surrounding the topic. To make sure all students are represented, the consent team makes sure to take on and train volunteers from various communities. However, there is an evident disparity in the distribution of volunteers. This year, there has been great emphasis placed on recruiting more male volunteers and students of colour to be facilitators.

Apply now to be a facilitator for academic year 2023/24, if you are a student looking to:

1. Improve your skills in presenting and facilitation
2. Find a supportive group of passionate students and staff
3. Add to transferable skills on your resume
4. Add more valuable skills on your HEAR report
5. Contribute to a valuable cause
6. Get vouchers to spend at a local business or get to donate to your favourite charity for workshops you facilitate

Being a consent facilitator has been a rewarding and a great learning experience for me and I strongly believe it is something that has added a lot of value to my university life. The workshops have reached over 12,000 students, and you could contribute to continuing the impact that Consent Is Everything has had. Sign up now to help make NTU a safer, healthier and more respectful community.

Learn more about the Consent is Everything workshops

Sign up to become a Consent Facilitator

https://forms.office.com/r/yUKxQZyDbs

Learn more about the Consent is Everything workshops

Sign up to become a Consent Facilitator