Students join for cause

STUDENTS at St Michael’s Collegiate have raised enough money to cover fortnightly counselling services for five Tasmanian survivors of sexual assault for an entire year.

Year 12 students handed a $20,000 cheque to Hobartbased Sexual Assault Support Service after this year fundraising with whole-ofschool free dress days, bake sales and events.

Head prefect Emma McCulloch said that having SASS as the school’s target charity for 2018 had helped start an important conversation at the school.

“It was positive to be raising money for something that’s such a big issue in today’s society, with lots of social movements and things happening at the moment for legislative and cultural change regarding sexual assault,” the 18-year-old said.

SASS chief executive Jill Maxwell said the donation was the largest the service had received.

“This money works out that five people can access our service for a whole year,” she said.

SASS training officer Adie Delaney commended the students on raising awareness of sexual assault and the available support services.

“There’s so much shame and stigma attached to the work that we do that just having you out there and talking to people about it is saying ‘it’s OK to talk about this stuff.”

SASS is available 24 hours on 1800 697 877.