Anonymous, Southampton Nightline

"Knowing that you are there as the person that cares in the middle of the night is something that is so worthwhile"

I joined Nightline when I first went to University, having totally experienced that feeling of having no-one to talk to in the middle of the night and wanting to be that person for others.

Within a year I joined the committee responsible for running our branch and a year later was elected joint co-ordinator.

Although Nightline requires a lot of hard work, it is totally worth it for the rewards you get out of it. I still managed to get a first-class degree whilst committing so much to the charity, because I think it helped me with my work-life balance and with my organisational skills. I met two of my best friends out of it and it totally enhanced my time at University for the better.

I feel a lot of the active listening skills and the confidence that I learnt and developed through Nightline have matured me as a person and as an empathic friend and colleague to those around me.

Since graduating I have worked for my University in various student support roles and the skills I developed through Nightline have been invaluable to my career.

There were difficult calls, there were waste of time calls, but knowing that you are there as the person that cares in the middle of the night is something that is so worthwhile and I am so glad to know that there are so many nice people out there who care enough to play that part. Nightline is a fantastic charity and hopefully one that will continue to grow.

-Anonymous, Southampton Nightline
 
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