Nightline is a confidential listening centre, run by students, for students. They are open every night of term for students to talk about what is on their mind.
You don’t have to have a problem to get in touch with Nightline, you can go to them with literally whatever it is you want, whether it is exam stress, you fancy a chat, you want to know where the best place to order a pizza is, or more serious problems such as illnesses, including mental illness.
They have a flat in Wentworth E Block, which is open from 8pm and 8am, and has information on literally anything and everything that you need to know about student life, tea and biscuits, and sexual health supplies, including pregnancy tests. There will also be two students on hand who have been trained in how to listen to you about anything you want to talk to them about.
There are four ways to get in touch with the service; you can visit the flat, and if you are on Hes East they run a service on Mondays from 8pm until midnight. If you don’t want to see people in person, or you’re walking home alone and want to have a reassuring voice on the other end of the line, or you want to chat from the safety of your own room, you can ring them on 01904323735. Save that number to your phone now, in case of emergencies! You can also email nightline at [email protected] completely confidentially, you can order sexual health supplies to your college by using this service too. They come in discreet packaging and you can pick them up from the porters. There is also a new Instant Messaging service on the website yorknightline.org.uk, it even hides your IP for complete confidentiality. It is important to note that all calls, all emails, all instant messages and all visits are absolutely, completely confidential.
Nightline said of the service: “No two calls are ever the same. What we can guarantee is a nonjudgemental environment where you won’t be told what to do. There’s no time limit on how long a call or visit should take, and the volunteers have gone through intense training and assessment to make sure they are able to run the service.”
You can talk about literally anything you want. You don’t have to go to the flat by yourself, either, if you want to bring a friend with you. Even if you want to get away from your flat for a bit, or you can’t sleep, Nightline is always there. They are there, of course, if you are having problems, too.
If this sounds like something that you want to get involved in, you can become a volunteer providing you aren’t a finalist. There is a training weekend every term for those who are selected. To be considered, use the form on www.facebook.com/yorknightline. They’re also on twitter @YorkNightline.