GCU Disco Society host pub quiz and karaoke fundraiser for local rape and crisis centre

A newly formed society is organising a fundraiser to help raise funds for a Glasgow based rape and crisis centre, whilst raising awareness about staying safe on nights out.

The GCU Disco Society, which only formed in August, was designed to create a community for students to enjoy Glasgow’s thriving nightlife scene whilst feeling safe.

As well as creating space for students to enjoy nights out, the main aim for the society is to raise awareness of what to do in scenarios such as drink spiking, sexual assault, domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

On Friday 14 November, the society is hosting  the “Sing For Survivors Fundraiser” at the University of Strathclyde Union which includes a pub quiz, karaoke contest and talks from Spike Aware UK and Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Centre.

Tickets cost £5 per person, and attendees can be in the chance to win up to £100 in Monterey Jacks vouchers, Byoma skincare products and additional prizes which will be announced on the night.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Centre as well as safety equipment for the society members, such as drink covers and spike-detection strips.

Society President and Social Work student Aishah Boyd realised the importance of the work that Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Centre do for victims whilst working there on a placement. She explained: “We’re a society based around safety on nights out and our focus is the prevention of incidents that would lead to someone having to use a crisis centre.

Unfortunately, these things can happen but we feel that it’s important to not only fundraise for the crisis centre, but to make people aware of it. I’m a Social Work student and it’s something I wasn’t even aware of until I went there on placement, so it made me realise how important it was to get the word out there about what it is.”

The society has partnered with Check Your Drink, a company which has designed drink spiking detection strips for people to wear as wrist bands.

Society member and Biomedical Sciences student Julia Tang explained: “ Spiking is something that we’re really trying to raise awareness of, because students especially will probably know someone or has experienced being spiked themselves. It’s so dangerous, but a lot of people might not realise what they need to do if it happens.

For us as well, we wanted to do something to support our members as well by providing them with safety equipment that they could use when they went out; such as drink covers and spike-detection wristbands.”

Aishah added: “Check Your Drink’ is a company that has designed the spike testing wristbands, and they have actually partnered with the society so we would like to buy some of them for our members. The way that the wristbands work is that you take a straw from the suspected drink, drop some of the liquid onto the wrist strip and if the colours turn blue or orange then it confirms that the drink has been spiked.”

Aishah and Julia believe that there should be a stronger emphasis on issues such as spiking in Higher Education and there should be more information available to university students. Aishah said: “I really think there should be more emphasis on spiking in general. I actually saw someone put something into my friend’s drink on a night out and so I was able to stop her from drinking it. It did make me think, what would have happened if I hadn’t saw it?

In a situation where someone would consume a spiked drink, I don’t think a lot of people would know what to do. Long term, we would really like to speak to lecturers about speaking to students during Freshers’ Week to make them aware of the potential dangers of drink spiking. When I was in First Year, I definitely didn’t know what spiking was or at least understood what it was. Some people will have heard stories of it happening but thinking it would never happen to them.”

Julia added: “With our Instagram page, we’re trying to make it look colourful, fun and engaging to help spread our message but in a way that isn’t driving too much fear. For us, it’s about awareness and encouraging people to attend our events, have fun but also learn something.”

Find out more about the society by checking out their Instagram page

Purchase tickets for the Sing For Survivors Fundraiser here