Night Light Cafés

Out-of-hours mental health support across Lincolnshire

Community-led support for those in crisis

Night Light Cafés provide a vital out-of-hours, non-clinical support service for adults experiencing mental health distress. Open during evenings, when GP surgeries and community mental health teams are typically closed, these cafés offer a calm, welcoming space where individuals can find immediate, face-to-face emotional support.

Staffed by trained volunteers, Night Light Cafés create a compassionate environment for people to talk openly about what they’re going through.

Volunteers also offer signposting and information to connect visitors with other local services, such as debt management, emergency food support, or ongoing mental health provision.

See below for Café attendance figures and evidence of impact on those that use the Cafés.

A key part of Lincolnshire’s mental health transformation

Funded by NHS England and NHS Improvement, Night Light Cafés form an integral part of the Lincolnshire Mental Health Transformation Programme. The initiative aims to improve mental health and wellbeing by fostering resilient, connected communities that can respond early to people in need.

The service is coordinated by Acts Trust, in partnership with local charities and community organisations across the county.

Together, they ensure that support is available in accessible, familiar spaces, reducing the need for clinical intervention and preventing escalation into crisis.

Locations across Lincolnshire

The Night Light Cafés operate in communities countywide, including:
Lincoln, Spalding, Holbeach, Bourne, Gainsborough, Stamford, Mablethorpe, Market Rasen, Grantham, Sleaford, Louth, Spilsby, Long Sutton, Skegness, Horncastle, Alford, and Boston.

Each venue has tailored evening opening hours, typically between 4pm and 11pm, to meet local demand.

Café attendances

Café attendance

Night Light Cafés across Lincolnshire welcomed around 18,000 visits in 2024.
This year, they surpassed that figure by October 2025, with attendance continuing to rise month by month.

It’s important to note that these numbers reflect visits, not unique guests. So far this year, the Cafés have supported 1,200 individual people.

Café impacts

The Night Light Cafés are doing far more than offering a place to sit - they’re changing lives. Guests and volunteers consistently highlight the following impacts:

Lives saved: Several individuals say the support they received at the Café came at a moment when they felt they had nowhere else to turn.
Reduced anxiety: Simply knowing the Cafés are open in the evenings brings reassurance and reduces anxiety, even for people who don’t come regularly.
A listening ear: Volunteers are often described as deeply empathetic, offering non-judgmental space to talk through whatever guests are facing.
A sense of community: Warmth, connection, and a genuine welcome help counter feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Practical support: Alongside emotional support, volunteers help with practical needs, providing food, signposting to local services, and connecting guests with food banks and other support where needed.

Night Light Café guest feedback

“I have no family and very few friends. Sometimes I wonder what is the point in carrying on. The support from Night Light has kept me alive these past few weeks.”

“You have all been wonderful with me. When I thought I couldn’t be helped, you were there for me.”

"I have been struggling with my drug addiction. This café is the place where I find peace."

“The Night Light Café has helped me so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping me sane and getting me through a crisis.”

“Before I came here, I was drinking a lot and I was suicidal. I don’t think I would still be here without this support.”

“When I came to the café, I was in a very dark place. If I hadn't come that evening, I genuinely think I would have made an attempt at taking my life.”

“I think this is a great place to come. I feel that I am free to say how I feel, and nobody judges me. I feel really comfortable to be me, and I don't need to worry about how others may think of me. I have been to other groups where I have had to be careful what I say, but here I can just be me.”

“I am so happy coming here, I look forward to coming all week. It’s a brilliant service and I have made so many new friends.”

“If I hadn’t come to the café, I likely would have self-harmed. It gave me some kind of connection when I felt really alone, and it was nice to have the option to talk to someone when I was feeling down."

“I was told about the café by the crisis team in the getting help section at a group they run. Coming to the cafe has helped me to know that I have somewhere to go if I'm struggling in the future.”

“If I hadn’t attended the café, I would have been at home with messy thoughts, panicking, and depressed. Coming along has given me a purpose to leave the house, talk, and hopefully meet new friends who can understand and relate/help each other.”

"I have been coming to the Night Light Café for around 18 months. I have always enjoyed coming to the group. It feels great to be among other people who do not judge me but accept me as I am. I feel I have gained confidence, and I feel more in control of where my life's heading. I have most enjoyed being connected to other people with mental health issues & feeling more able to be in control of my life.’"

"Just 6 months ago, I couldn’t have done anything like this, but now I feel much less lonely and happier and more satisfied with life. There is always someone to talk to. It’s so helpful and feels really good to talk about things that bother me and get them off my chest. My family wants to help me, but finds it all overwhelming. People at the Night Light Café understand me, and I don’t have to work hard. I’m always listened to. I now like trying new things and meeting new people. The Night Light Café allows me to try lots of things in a supported environment with lovely people, and I don’t feel anywhere near as nervous as I used to. The volunteers are so kind and helpful, and as well as talking, they offer me lots of opportunities to have fun playing games and talking about things I like."

"I am so thankful that this place is open, I know where to come when I need someone to talk to.’

"Honestly, I have no negative feedback at all. My son has enjoyed the last two sessions and is looking forward to next we. For him, waiting a week to come back is too long. I’ve struggled to find any help with his anxiety/separation anxiety from anywhere. I am just hoping there’s more help out there, as his is introverted anxiety. This Friday, we are going out for the day with another family we met at Night Light, and this outing wouldn’t be happening if we hadn’t all met at the café. The staff are all doing a fantastic job and everyone is so friendly."

"To have gone from a virtual recluse, and someone who thought he was no one, to someone who can get out each day, be able to socialise, communicate, and hold conversations is amazing."

"10/10. If it weren't for the Night Light Café I'd be at home. Coming here has helped me a lot. They always ask me how my week has been. We can have a good laugh, talk about TV shows, and share stories. I always feel better after being here. I was really nervous when I first came, but I've got my confidence back thanks to you lot.' Guest for nearly two years."

"To the amazing staff: I just want to say thank you for all the support you have been giving me. I have loved coming, I loved meeting you all. Thanks to you, you have made a difference in my life. I am no longer having suicidal thoughts. You really have changed things for me, and I'm very grateful for it."

"The Night Light Cafés are fantastic. They are available when nothing else is and someone is there to welcome you and tell you it’s OK, you are safe here."

"The Night Light Café is one of the only places I feel safe to come to. I know where I like to sit and who I can talk to, and it calms me down a bit and makes me feel less alone."

Referrer feedback

“I cannot champion the Night Light Service enough. My client has been in a very dark place, and attending the cafe where he was given food and support has given him hope to carry on living.” Social Prescriber

“The Night Light Café have been an absolute lifeline for many of my social prescribing clients as the cafes are non-clinical and for clients who have had difficult experiences with their mental health treatment, having a different approach which is based on empathy and a welcoming environment is revolutionary.” Social Prescriber

"The difference in my client since attending Night Light has been so good to see." Social Prescriber

"My client is like a different person since going along to Night Light weekly. They now want to look at trying other local activities.’ Social Prescriber

“I have heard nothing but good reports about the Night Light Cafés.” GP

“Brilliant community resource – easy to refer in to and very responsive.” Mental Health Practitioner

“Several of my patients have attended the Night Light Café, and they have all said it was a safe and welcoming environment where they have felt supported.” Community Psychiatric Nurse, Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team

“The Night Light Café has been amazing at supporting our students on the MOVE project. Thank you!” Student Welfare Officer, Bishop Grosseteste University

"Night Light is a great place for us to signpost patients to.’ General Practice Manager

"A client of mine spoke very highly of their experience coming to Night Light Café when in crisis. I wouldn't hesitate to refer others to you’’. Counsellor

‘We hear good things about the Night Light Cafés and we are always telling patients about it. We display the posters and flyers in the Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre.’ Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre Manager, Lincoln County Hospital

"At Shaw Trust, we run two employability programmes that support individuals into employment. We work with a lot of individuals who struggle with mental health and social anxiety, amongst other things.

The Night Light Café offers a safe space for individuals, an opportunity to open up, get away from everyday life, whether it's through talking to the amazing team that works there, or whether it is via playing games as a group. We have referred several of our participants to the Night Light Café in order to boost confidence, and the support they give helps this.

The feedback we receive is always excellent, and our participants look forward to the next Night Light Café. I have been to them before and would highly recommend them. Acts Trust and the team do an amazing job." Shaw Trust

‘I never hesitate to refer my clients to Night Light. They really benefit from the support.’ Counsellor