'Be A Mate': our alcohol-awareness campaign
Monday, 11 November 2019
To mark national Alcohol Awareness Week (w/c 11 November), we’re launching our new ‘Be A Mate’ student campaign in partnership with RUSU. This is part of the suite of activities under development through the work of the Drugs & Alcohol Action Partnership (DAAP).
Our aim is to support our students to look out for one another and take a responsible and informed approach to alcohol. By providing more information about how to make informed choices, alongside peer-to-peer training, we hope to bring about a positive culture change here at Reading.
In addition to publishing posters across our noticeboards and digital screens, and posts on social media, we’ve organised the following campaign activities this week:
- Providing free lined measuring glasses and an interactive scratch card with every purchase of alcohol in the Co-Op to encourage students to think more mindfully about their alcohol intake
- Publishing a podcast with RUSU’s Welfare Officer, Gemma King, about the link between alcohol consumption and mental health and wellbeing
- Running a ‘Think about your drink’ interactive workshop on Wednesday 13th November from 2-3pm in Palmer 108, aimed at encouraging students to consider their own drinking habits and provide some tips on how they could make different choices
- Offering free tasters of alcohol-free beers and other drinks at Park Eat on Wednesday 13th November from 2-6pm
- Running an alcohol-free bar (with mocktails) at RUSU’s Upper 3 Sixty at the Union Night on Wednesday 13th November
- Setting up a pop-up stand next to the Food Market on Thursday 14th November from 11am to 3pm to hand out the lined measuring glasses and interactive scratch cards
For further information about support and advice for students related to alcohol, please visit www.reading.ac.uk/alcohol-support
This is very much the initial launch phase of our campaign and we are working on plans to embed these activities throughout the year, and refine our messages based on impact and feedback.
We look forward to keeping you updated as our work progresses. In the meantime, if you have any queries please contact Fiona Blair, Director of Marketing, Communication & Engagement.