Who we are and what we do

London Nightline is an independent charity with the vision that every student in London feels supported throughout their university experience, however that may look for them. We achieve this aim by offering a free, overnight listening service run for students by students. We run from 6pm-8am, when other welfare services or support systems tend to be unavailable. There are no referrals or waiting lists, and no problem is too big or too small to discuss with our fully-trained helpline volunteers.

The Nightline team consists of two full-time members of staff, over 70 dedicated student volunteers, and a board of experienced trustees who oversee the charity’s strategy and governance.

Years of London Nightline

Students supported last year

New volunteers trained up this year

Creation and Legacy

London Nightline was set up by Imperial College students in 1971, after the deaths of two students by suicide. Students there felt that their peers’ needs were not being met and wanted to do something to support eacah other. Inspired by the creation of Essex Nightline the year before, London Nightline began as a telephone listening service. More than 50 years later this is still a fundamental part of the service, although we also hear from students through instant messaging, email and Skype. We are the largest of 30 Nightlines across the United Kingdom and together have a reach of 1.3 million students.