Volunteers Needed
Waterford Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre is there for anyone affected by sexual violence, every step of the way. Our mission is to prevent the harm and heal the trauma of rape and other forms of sexual violence. Every year, we receive more than 12,000 visits and provide psychological support service in the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) and accompaniment to victims/survivors seeking our assistance. Our volunteers provide invaluable support in all these areas.
Psychological Support Service in the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU)
This volunteering role involves providing psychological support to those attending the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) which is based in University Hospital Waterford, after rape or sexual assault, for medical and/or forensic examinations.
This support includes ensuring that the victim/survivor gets as much information as s/he needs in a way that they can understand; informs them of their nearest Rape Crisis Centre where free counselling and support services are available for both the survivor and their families; support the victim/survivor in whatever decisions s/he makes and ensure that these decisions are respected.
Volunteering Requirements:
Do you have a few hours a month to make a difference?
Are you 24 years of age and have fluent English?
·Do you live within a 30-minute radius of Waterford City?
If you answered yes to the above and you want to express your interest in this role, send us an email with the subject line: Volunteering Inquiry and your name and contact details. We will contact you with details of when our next recruitment campaign will start.
Please note, you must complete our SATU training, be able to keep strict confidentiality about all aspects of the work and complete Garda vetting prior to starting your volunteering role.
Accompaniment Service
Our volunteers also provide accompaniment to those going through the legal process. This involves supporting survivors as they make a statement to Gardai and/or as they attend Court.
Testimonies from our volunteers
Testimonies from our volunteers
The training and learning was like nothing I have experienced before. As well as the development of skills, delving into oneself, covering the topics required, it was the unique communication methods used and extracted from the group because it built trust, honesty and friendships.
The training has opened my eyes to the prevalence of sexual assault in Ireland which I may have not wanted to acknowledge in the past. It has given me the chance to work through and reflect on my own experiences and reassess what I will accept in the future.
Would you recommend this training to others?
YES. To know that you are going to support somebody who needs you is a privilege, especially knowing you have the back of a team behind you.
YES. Because this is something that people generally do not tend to care about until they have to, when they are touched by it. I think this is a way to be proactive in understanding the roots of sexual violence in our culture and taking responsibility for how you as an individual can respond.
YES. Even though the course content is not ‘easy’ or ‘comfortable’ it has been very important and it has been wonderful to work with all the trainers and trainees. Even if I never get called SATU, the training is still invaluable given the prevalence of sexual abuse.
The training has built my self-esteem and gave me a purpose to push forward.
The emphasis from an early stage of the training programme, was not on making one into something different, but on bringing one’s own strength to it and to ‘accentuate one’s own natural ability’ to continue to flourish. By examining my own values and beliefs, unconscious biases and allowing myself time to process my emotions kept me on track on my personal development journey.
Being a volunteer has given me great insights into how to support people who experience sexual violence while working towards ending the cultural and systemic roots, which takes so much time.
The training has shown me how far I have come in life mentally and emotionally and that I am strong enough to support somebody who needs help.