How Do You Get Through Tricky Times?
Here comes September, and I find myself curling into the brace position, breathing laboured, knuckles white.
I have found September tricky for a long time. Partly due to the anniversary of a traumatic time in my life, but also because of the change in pace. I love the leisurely stroll of summer, with time off work, holidays, trips to the beach and salad for tea. (And if we are fortunate, some sunshine!) I flourish in the slowness of it all. When summer slips into September, I feel a sense of loss, knowing that summer is gone for another year and the next one seems so far away.
Volunteering at Night Light Can Change your Life!
by Pam Jenkinson – Night Light Project Worker
According to the Citizens Advice Bureau, every volunteer gets something different from their volunteering experience. Whether this is by making a positive difference to people’s lives, improving their own self-esteem and wellbeing or gaining invaluable work experience. At the Night Light Cafes our volunteers all come from different backgrounds, life experiences and motives, each bringing a different flavour to the teams they work in. We value each and every one of them and are so grateful they willingly give up their time to support our guests who are struggling with their mental health.
What’s New with the Night Light Cafes?
by Stacey Marriott – Night Light Cafe Manager
The Night Light Cafes continues to be part of the NHS Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, which is being rolled out throughout England and Acts Trust. The project has seen a lot of change over recent months, including the launch of new cafes and the welcoming of new team members, so here is a whistle stop update!
A Lesson from my Cheese Plant
by Stacey Marriott – Night Light Cafe Manager
I recently googled the pointy things that are growing out of my cheese plant and discovered that they are called ‘aerial roots’ and grow to latch on to other plants to give support to the cheese plant as it grows. Wow! The cheese plant by design develops its own support structure. How cleverly created.
An Interview with one of Night Light Cafe’s new Network Leads
with Pam Jenkinson and Dean Bell
The Night Light Cafe team are very excited to recently employ three new members of staff. Two will oversee the running of our Countywide cafes in the North and South of Lincolnshire. Another member of staff will support them both as a Project Worker. Dean Bell, has become our Network Lead for the South of Lincolnshire and I chatted with him about his new role:-
How to become a Night Light Volunteer
by Michelle Russell – Night Light Project Worker
Volunteering for a project like the Night Light Cafe, can be a really rewarding thing to do. But sometimes it can be quite daunting not knowing what the process will be like and how it works. So, I spoke with our Project Worker, Pam Jenkinson, who coordinates the new volunteer’s for our cafes.
Interview with Night Light Cafe Team Leader – Emma Bell
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.
Inside the Night Light Cafe
by Pam Jenkinson – Night Light Cafe Project Worker
The Night Light Cafes are an out of hours, non-clinical support service for people who are struggling with their mental health. These safe spaces are hosted by teams of trained volunteers, who provide a warm welcome alongside a listening service and signposting advice.
But what does it look like inside our cafes? What would you expect to see?
Interview with the New Night Light Cafe Assistant Coordinator?
by Stacey Marriott – Night Light Cafe Coordinator
The Night Light Cafe staff team has recently grown as we welcomed Kerry to the team at the start of August in the role of Assistant Night Light Cafe Coordinator. We thought an interview with Kerry would provide a great opportunity for you all to get to know her a little better!
An Interview with Fran, our Night Light Fundraising Volunteer!
by Pam Jenkinson – Night Light Project Worker
One of our wonderful volunteers Fran is planning to embark on a quest to help raise funds for the Night Light Cafe. He’s doing a sponsored bike ride from Lincoln to Louth and back to Lincoln. Up and down those Wolds (rather him than us!). I asked Fran some questions about why he has chosen to do this challenge for Night Light
NHS Mental Health Transformation: What does it look like?
by Stacey Marriott – Night Light Cafe Coordinator
The Night Light Cafes are part of the NHS Transformation programme for Lincolnshire. But what does that mean?
In the Night Light cafes, and indeed in my everyday life, I often have conversations with people who have felt let down by ‘the system’ when it comes to their mental health. They may have been told they are not poorly enough to receive support, or even too poorly to receive the support they have tried to access. With long waiting lists and overstretched staff teams, the NHS have received a lot of bad press over the years and when people feel let down by the organisation who is meant to be helping them this can be detrimental to their already diminished mental health.