ASCERT Deliver Drug and Alcohol Awareness Sessions

SERC’s Students’ Union recently collaborated with ASCERT to provide sessions educating students on drugs, alcohol, anti-social behaviour, and their effects on communities throughout Northern Ireland.

Catherine Shipman, student engagement manager spoke about the sessions and how the opportunity came about: 

“We were able to secure a contract with ASCERT through the Lisburn and Castlereagh Policing and Community Safety Programme (PCSP) and the Bangor and Ards PCSP, to deliver very important and hopefully impactful sessions.

“There were 52 session delivered over February and March with a total of 632 students benefiting from the service. Sessions included ASCERT’s universal training as well as the Intensive Youth Support sessions which were tailored for vulnerable groups.”

Catherine added “The one-hour workshops educated the students on the issues of drugs, alcohol, and anti-social behaviour and provided them with the skills and knowledge to have the best chance to avoid any misuse. We found that the sessions being online and the chat function available gave students who may not have normally asked questions the chance to do so, which was brilliant to see as it hopefully helped to address some queries or issues more personal and relevant to them.”

Catherine concluded “The feedback from the students has been brilliant, they really engaged well with the sessions and took away some valuable skills and knowledge which will hopefully have a lasting positive impact.

“We’re very thankful to ASCERT, Lisburn and Castlereagh PCSP and Bangor and Ards PCSP. It’s very important for us to ensure that our students’ experience at the college is an impactful and valuable one and being able to provide them with sessions such as these is one way that we can do that.”

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