The Night Light cafes are safe spaces for people who are experiencing a crisis in their mental health. Night Light cafes operate in various areas of Lincoln on every day of the week. Yesterday I visited the St John’s Night Light cafe on the Ermine in Lincoln and had a chat with two of their volunteers, Jackie and Alice. Here is what they had to say:
by Pam Jenkinson – Night Light Café Project Worker
We have been really fortunate this year to have eighteen volunteers at our Night Light Cafes who are currently psychology students and attend either Bishop Grosseteste University or Lincoln University as part of their work experience placements. We have been overwhelmed with the quality and commitment they have shown to our project and many have continued to volunteer, even though they no longer need to put the placement hours in!
Two of our outstanding student volunteers are Lauren and Ellie-Mae and I spoke with them about how they had heard about us.
by Stacey Marriott – Night Light Crisis Café Coordinator
This week I caught up with two of the Night Light volunteers, Martin and Kathryn. Martin has previously been a guest at the Night Light Cafes and has recently applied and trained to become a ‘Peer Volunteer’. This role is for individuals who are no longer in crisis and want to become part of the Night Light community on a longer term basis, in a supporting capacity. Kathryn first applied to volunteer last summer and is now based with the Alive café at Newland on a Sunday evening having previously helped at the Bridge Central Café during lockdown 3.
By Stacey Marriott – Night Light Crisis Cafe Coordinator
I was recently offered a course of therapy sessions, and as a firm believer that such activity is beneficial to all, whether they are feeling the need for it or not, I jumped at the chance. Over the course of seven sessions, with the assistance of the therapist I identified areas of my life which were troublesome and in need of some work. I learnt strategies for managing these situations better and discovered so much about the inner workings of my mind.
By Simon Hoare – CEO of Acts Trust
This last year has created some difficult challenges yet some innovative opportunities for our teams. Kerry Werling is one of our frontline team volunteers; I caught up with her to discover how life in Lincoln has been for non-english speaking people during the pandemic.
By Pam Jenkinson – Night Light Crisis Café Project Worker
Without our committed volunteers, the Night Light Cafes would not be able to function. We have a dedicated team, who want to make a difference to those who may be in crisis and have a desire to provide support and empathy to others.
I visited one of our cafes this week and caught up with one of our faithful volunteers Angela, who has been at the cafes for over six months now. I asked her what inspired her to give up her evenings to run the café and she said she didn’t like to see people struggling and felt this was a great way to help others and promote positive mental health.
