“Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return”

– Roy T. Bennett

This quote perfectly encapsulates the spirit of charity and giving back in an exceptional volunteering group at Barts and the London. ROCK (Reconnecting Our Community Through Kindness) the outreach division of ISoc, has been very busy this year with numerous projects aimed at benefiting the people of East London in one way or another. The overall purpose of the ROCK team is to provide a platform for students to build, support and help the community, especially those suffering from socioeconomic inequalities.

Of their many projects, a couple stand out as great examples of altruism and thought behind charity. They hold a soup kitchen for the homeless members of Whitechapel on a monthly basis, collecting donations from local cafes and restaurants. This chance to have a hot drink and nutritious food is a precious opportunity for those who have fallen on hard times, especially during the winter months. Because of the hard work of the project leads and clever marketing in homeless hubs there has been amazing growth, from barely 10 people showing up 2 years ago to 40-50 presently, with some regulars as well.

Husna Ali, fourth year medic and ROCK co-lead, also makes it clear that ROCK is not just for the vulnerable, but for the future of the community. This belief is evident in ‘Suture the Future’, a student-lead outreach event where children from less privileged backgrounds are given an interesting practical in suturing, whilst hearing a talk which advocates healthcare careers. In certain social circles, a lot of people view jobs in the health industry as an unachievable concept, which this interactive session aims to overcome.

Another project from ROCK is ‘Guard Up’, a newly developed self defence project focused on improving the safety and confidence of young women in the area. As all Barts students probably know, Tower Hamlets is not the safest borough, with the Met Police concluding that it is one of the most dangerous places to live in London according to their 2019 data. Violent or sexual crimes are disproportionately likely to affect women, so the idea behind the self defence was to empower female school children to protect themselves in a dangerous situation.

The leader behind Guard Up, Husna, was inspired to develop this project after training in taekwondo and hapkido (a Korean martial arts form). Seeing the impact of this teaching on fellow students, and the sense of security and self-confidence she felt herself was revolutionary. She believes it’s a feeling everyone should possess, so anyone may walk to the shop when it gets dark without feeling worried or nervous. Unfortunately, she has also witnessed some Islamophobic incidents and seen people in abusive relationships, which has led her to believe that simple self-defence is a vital skill! After coming up with a plan for Guard Up sessions and getting it checked by the university, Husna and other integral members of ROCK ran a trial session at Bow School.

They chose this school because of difficulties the female students have been experiencing, as the school only recently became co-ed, and therefore the vast majority of the student body is still male. 6 Barts volunteers were trained by an external women’s self defence educator, then they went to the school and delivered their session. Thanks to the great feedback they got, they have decided to train up lots of volunteers and head to schools which need them!

With extensive research behind the most effective methods to teach for self-defence, a couple of simple techniques have been hand-picked for sessions. These are movements which can get girls out of wrist-grabbing or shoving, which are amongst the more common attacks. Above all, the girls will be taught de-escalation, so they can remove themselves from an unsafe environment. With a lot of support from volunteers and committee, ROCK is not just dreaming of a safer community, but working towards it one class at a time. Get involved with ROCK by volunteering with Whitechapel Street Kitchen on the 19th and the Garden Project on the 26th of Feb!