On the front line: Nightline

Nightline, which has long offered students the chance to talk to their peers about their problems, reports increased demand.

The charity, which was established in 1970 at the University of Essex and can be accessed from 104 higher education institutions that are supported by 40 Nightline services with around 2,000 student volunteers, is still growing and says that demand is increasing in its existing universities.

Jessica (not her real name) had always wanted to help people, so she signed up in her second after seeing an online advert for Nightline volunteers. “The training process is very rigorous and feels like it covers absolutely everything,” she says. “It gives you the skills to cope with any situation, rather than simply learning set phrases for certain situations.”