Lancaster Uni Consent Collective announced as a new society

TW: Sexual assault

The Lancaster Uni Consent Collective has been established as a new society.

The Consent Collective is looking to help students with care and confidentiality around sexual harassment, assault and violence, and hope to get up and running soon.

The members aim to create a safe space to chat one on one, educate and spread awareness.

The society is currently focused on raising awareness of the group and its values. The society is also committed to fundraising from cake sales to live performances for the affiliated charities, Safeline and Survivors Trust. These charities offer support for both victims and their families.

The President, Novalee said: “This society is for anyone. Whether you’re a victim, a victims friend or family member. Whether you want to be more aware of sexual violence, or you want to help fundraise for charities who do the amazing work that they do, this society is for you.”

Novalee shared her story on Instagram and because of her experience, she was inspired to create the society. On 8th October 2022, Novalee was sexually assaulted by a fellow student and flatmate. In the days that followed, she felt lost and unsure of where to turn. About a week later, with the support of those around her, she found the strength to report the assault to the police.

The process that followed was lengthy and difficult, with 18 months of investigations, interviews, and countless meetings. Finally, on 28th February 2024, the abuser was convicted and sentenced.

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The day after the sentencing, Novalee reported the outcome to the university, expecting a supportive response. However, on 15th May, the university decided to allow the abuser to continue his studies and even graduate that summer. Novalee then filed a formal complaint at the end of May, advocating for change. As the abuser had already graduated, Novalee felt compelled to push for new policies and improved support systems at the university to ensure others wouldn’t have to go through similar experiences.

As a result, the university acknowledged the need for a more comprehensive and updated policy for handling similar cases like, noting that this was their first case in which a student had taken another student to court for such a crime and obtained a conviction.

After voicing her concerns, Novalee’s case went before a panel that upheld her complaint and recognised the need for change—a decision for which Novalee is incredibly grateful, as she would never want another student to feel dismissed or unsupported in the way she did.

Out of this experience, Novalee was inspired to establish a society aimed at creating a safe space for conversations about sexual violence and to foster a community of support for survivors. This society, known as The Consent Collective, seeks to provide a supportive network where people can find help, raise awareness, and encourage understanding. Together with a dedicated team, society members are committed to raising funds for organisations that assist survivors, like Victim Support, and to ensure that no one has to face such challenges alone.

Following the complaint by Novalee, The Consent Collective later said: “the Uni have personally apologised and thanked her for taking action. They have also begun to set up a formal group to review the approach to, and management of incidents of sexual violence at the uni, aiming for new arrangements to be made at the start of the academic year, whilst also looking to put more immediate changes in place to protect students right now!”

The university has been contacted for comment.

The Consent Collective can be contacted via DM here, or via email: [email protected].

For further help, the charities Safeline and Survivors Trust can be found here.

Featured image @luconsentcollectivesoc, via Instagram