We’ll Listen, Not Lecture
Usually, we are open 10pm-8am every night of term. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, only our e-mail and IM services are running at the moment. Our IM service is open most nights of term from 10pm until 1am.
Lancaster Nightline is a confidential listening and information service run by students, for students at Lancaster University. We aim to provide a night-time contact point offering a wealth of free information and a non-judgemental listening ear. All calls made to us are confidential, and remain completely anonymous. You can contact us by telephone, email, instant messaging or Skype.
No matter if you’re stressed about workload, having family or friendship problems, need help getting back from The Sugarhouse or simply want a chat, Lancaster Nightline is here to listen.
Nightline has no political or religious beliefs and no affiliations of any other nature which may impair the neutrality and impartiality of the service. Nightline is a confidential service, the only exception to this being that Nightline as an organisation has a legal responsibility to report information which may lead to the arrest of terrorists or information that suggests, or directly informs, that children are or have been at risk either physically, emotionally or sexually.
If you use our email listening service please be aware that your email address is not anonymous, but these calls are still treated with the same confidential approach as any other call.
So… where did it all begin?
National Nightline
Nightline is national movement, providing listening services and information during the night, when most other university services are closed. The first Nightline was formed in May 1970 at Essex University due to worries about the increasingly high suicide rate amongst students. Set up by a previous director of the Samaritans, the service trained students to provide their peers with someone to talk to confidentially. There are now 40 Nightline services in the UK and more in America, Canada, and Europe.
Lancaster Nightline
A year after Essex started the trend, in October 1971, Lancaster Nightline first opened its lines to callers. Over 40 years later the Essex service is still going, and the movement it started has spread across the UK. Originally referred to as the ‘Friendly Night Owls’, Lancaster Nightline has continued to exist, surviving both strengths and hardship, to where we are today. We currently take calls, email contact, instant messages and skype calls. Still run for students by students, Lancaster Nightline is open 10pm to 8am during term time to provide students with an access point for information, and a listening ear. No matter what the topic, Lancaster Nightline volunteers will listen and provide information requested.