I went to school in a really rural area with seemingly little opportunities that were not sport related. I was intrigued by activism and really wanted to get involved in making social change. However, I found it really difficult to find volunteering / activism opportunities (maybe because I simply wasn’t searching hard enough). It wasn’t until I got to college that I started getting involved in activism and finally felt like I was doing something I was born to do.
Getting involved in activism (different college societies, SpunOut etc.) has opened me up to so many amazing opportunities, allowed me to meet really incredible people and make new friends, all while helping others and making a difference. Once I started getting involved in various different things in college I quickly learned about all the opportunities that would have been available to me when I was younger if I had just known where to look. My experience of activism has been really positive and wholesome, and I want to share my advice and experience in hopes that anyone who is like my younger self wanting to be involved but not knowing how will be able to do what took me much longer to figure out.
One of the best ways I’ve gotten involved in activism is through joining SpunOut. Joining SpunOut is an incredible way to get involved in activism and opens you up to so many different opportunities! You can start by writing articles on things that interest you (that’s where I started). If you’re interested in becoming even more involved keep an eye out for the Action Panel recruitment where you can apply to be a part of your regional Action Panel. I may be slightly biased but I would highly recommend applying! Here is the SpunOut.ie Website. It is also a brilliant website for finding advice and answers to different questions you may have about life, education, sex, work, etc.
However, opportunities might be more local than you would think. Most towns have a youth group that you can get involved in either as a volunteer or as a member. Give a quick search and you should be able to find youth groups near you and how to get involved. Similarly to SpunOut, joining a youth group can open you to many more opportunities.
There’s an amazing website and app that I recently discovered that I absolutely love! It’s called i-Vol.ie. You can sign up really easily and the website shows you volunteering opportunities in your area and how you can get involved!
While there are many ways you can get involved in activism it isn’t always as easy to get involved in exactly what you want. Maybe you want to to be involved feminist activism or climate activism and such opportunities may not be as easy to find, particularly in rural areas such as where I’m from. However, you can actually set up your club / organisation that does what you want! I always thought I had to wait for college until I could really start doing the things I wanted to do, but it is possible to take matters into your own hands and create the change you want to see. Again do some research into what exactly you want to set up, maybe ask your school or your local youth club if they’d be willing to help you with it. You don’t have to wait for college like I did!
These certainly aren’t the only ways you can start getting involved in activism. There are so many other ways that I am probably not even aware of. Little things like googling or asking people you know about organisations they’re involved with are a quick and easy way to find out more. Activism is so empowering and heartwarming and I would recommend it to anyone who has even the tiniest desire to make a change in the world! Not to sound like a cliché but you can be the change you want to see in the world!
Chloe Boland 