Are You OK? volunteers helping out at this year's Toga Party are, from left, Zach Marshall, Lauren Dewhirst and Hannah Platts. Zach has been a part of Are You OK? for four years and Lauren 10 years, while it's Hannah's first year being involved.
Calling all kind and compassionate students – your services are needed.
Every year OUSA Student Support assembles a team of friendly students to help out with its student safety service called ‘Are you OK?’.
“We provide students with a non-judgmental, approachable and friendly source of support at OUSA events,” OUSA Support Services Are You OK? coordinator Joe Loke says.
Are you OK? is there to make sure a “good time doesn’t turn into a bad time”, he says.
“Whether someone has had too much to drink, is feeling homesick, in need of first aid, needs some chill out time, a safe ride home or just someone to have a yarn with, the trained Are You OK? volunteers are they to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”
Are You Ok? volunteers will find themselves at OUSA events, ready to assist students.
Members of the Are You OK? team are needed throughout the year at most OUSA events such as gigs in the Union Hall, Ori and Re-Ori, and Hyde St, as well as music festivals in Ōtepoti Dunedin like Baseline.
Any student who would like to be apart of Are You OK? will be trained ahead of their first event in things such as active listening and communication – to provide emotional support, caring for people who have consumed alcohol or drugs, situational awareness and bystander effect and basic first aid, Joe says.
Once training is complete, volunteers will find themselves apart of a “fantastic, fun and very supportive team”.
“Through Are You Ok? students will get fabulous hands-on experiences working with students in a high-energy environment.”
In addition to earning themselves some “really good karma”, there will be the opportunity to take on leadership roles while meeting some amazing, like-minded people.
“Plus, we have snacks!”
Two Are You OK? volunteers at a Toga Party.
Are You OK? volunteers have been attending OUSA events for about 13 years, and will be present at Ori’ 2024.
A previous volunteer says volunteering with Are You OK? trumped all other roles they had worked in, even when it got messy.
They said it had provided “real clarity” around the kind of work they hoped to do in the future.
Another volunteer said Are You OK? had created a “genuinely caring” community full of people that they knew they were going to have a positive interaction with, regardless of whoever they wound up alongside that day.
- Korero by internal communications advisor, Koren Allpress