Oxford University Student Union has been shortlisted for the UK Adult Sexual Health Project of the Year by the UK Sexual Health Awards.
The Health Awards are hosted by the sexual health charities Brook and FPA and are designed to reward bodies which demonstrate the best, most creative and innovative work in the field of sexual health.
The eventual winner will be presented with the award at the UK Sexual Health Awards ceremony and dinner on Thursday 14 March at The Troxy, an art deco theatre and concert venue in London. Comedienne Kate Smurthwaite will host the evening, and the UK Sexual Health Awards tweeted, “We’re excited to announce that the brilliant @Cruella1 [Smurthwaite] will be our host at @SHUKAwards!”
Brook shortlisted OUSU’s Sexual Consent Workshops for the UK Adult Sexual Health Project of the Year. The workshops have created discussion amongst undergraduates and post-graduates, and sports teams are also able to contribute, with a version for under 18s which is used in local schools.
The workshops allow young people to discuss what they believe sexual consent to be and the myths surrounding sexual consent and abuse. In the past year, over fifty-one individuals were trained as facilitators to hold discussions throughout the Oxford Colleges and sports teams.
Suzanne Holsomback, Vice President of Oxford University Student Union, said, “It is a great honour to be recognised by Brook for the work Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) has done on sexual consent in the Oxford colleges and throughout the University.
“OUSU is committed to creating an environment where consent is discussed, understood, and practiced. We desire for the University of Oxford to become a place where students respect themselves and each other by communicating consent, but more importantly, we hope that through these discussions, students will challenge the culture that perpetuates sexual consent and sexual abuse myths.”
On hearing about OUSU’s nomination, Keble’s Michaelmas 2013 Fresher’s Week President Emma Alexander said, “I’m pleased to see OUSU has been nominated for this award, and it’s a good example of the great work they do that perhaps isn’t well recognised by the student body.”
As well as the award for Sexual Health Project of the Year, there are six other categories in the UK Sexual Health Awards. These include Sexual Health Professional of the Year, the JLS Young Person of the Year and the Rosemary Goodchild Award for excellence in sexual health journalism. An award for Lifetime Achievement in sexual health will also be presented.
