by Kerry Robinson – Assistant Coordinator for Night Light Cafe

I met up with one of our lovely team leaders – Emma to ask them about their experience of leading a Night Light Cafe.

Can you share a little about yourself and which Night Light Cafe you lead?

My name is Emma. I have a large family of 13 children, most of them are adults and I lead the Birchwood Night Light Cafe. I have volunteered for a year and have been team leading since October, 2022. 

What inspired you to get involved with Night Light Cafes?

My son John was originally leading the Birchwood Night Light Cafe and he would regularly share what was happening and the ethos of Night Light Cafes – this inspired me to volunteer. 

I was sold from week one and was keen to do more.

What’s your favorite part of leading a Night Light Cafe?

I love the interaction with the guests, I love the fact that guests may come with a burden and leave lighter and it’s nice to see that visible change in a guest’s appearance when they leave once they have got things off their chest. 

I enjoy the times when we have fun together and guests share their stories. It’s nice to see people laugh and enjoy the company of other guests and volunteers despite the fact that they may have problems.

What’s the biggest thing that you have learned since volunteering?

The power of listening – sometimes we don’t have an answer to peoples pain but there is huge power in listening and allowing people to be validated. Making people feel heard and seen and that they matter is something really important to me. 

What would you say to someone who is thinking of joining the Night Light Cafe team as a volunteer?

I would say be prepared to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in, it can be uncomfortable.

We have to train our faces to not look shocked by some of the things we hear and to be prepared to not have all the answers. We want to comfort people and we can try our best to do that, of course we all have limitations – sometimes we need to sit with someone in a dark hole and come alongside them to support them. 

If you would like to know more about volunteering with Night Light Cafes and what it involves please e-mail: nightlight@actstrust.org.uk to find out more – we would love to hear from you.