Nightlines provide a confidential listening service for students at 105 institutions across the country. Our project will provide expert training to 300 Nightline volunteers, who are students themselves, with the skills they need to run a successful service to their peers, to respond to the most difficult calls - including suicide and to effectively maintain their own wellbeing in a stressful role.
For many, university is an exciting milestone marking the beginning of their adult life. However, for thousands of young people it is an extremely difficult experience full of isolation and anxiety. Nightline services provide a valuable lifeline for students across the country that have nowhere else to turn for the support they need. More than 100 students die each year from suicide with research showing that as many as 1 in 12 experience suicidal thoughts whilst at university.
All Nightlines services are delivered by student volunteers that dedicate themselves to providing support to their peers. Our project will deliver training directly to 300 volunteers, who will, share their learning to over 2,500 volunteers across the country. This ensures that Nightline volunteers are equipped to respond to the most difficult calls from fellow students- including those expressing suicidal thoughts, as well as to support each other in what can be a very stressful role.
The need for Nightline services continues to grow. The number of people having to leave university due to mental health difficulties has tripled since 2010. Students who would have otherwise left university will be able to continue their studies and access the support they need. Providing expert training is the most effective method for ensuring that the hundreds of Nightline volunteers across the country are able to respond to the most difficult calls and effectively manage their own wellbeing.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
