Mental health 'crisis café' opens at Leicester universities

The service is designed to provide support in "non clinical" surroundings

A "crisis café" has opened at two Leicester universities to offer mental health support to students.

The facility has been launched at De Montfort University (DMU) and the University of Leicester, offering advice in "non clinical" surroundings.

The charity behind the initiative, Mental Health Matters, said students were more open than ever about mental health but that a stigma remained.

The aim is to have 25 cafés open across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Dan Reynolds, from Mental Health Matters, said the cafés would be open in the evenings

At DMU's freshers' fair, Dan Reynolds - from Mental Health Matters - said the charity wanted to put support in the "heart of communities".

"We want to be there when people need support," he said.

"From six to 11, there might not be the normal statutory services open so we are going to be open then.

"University is different for everyone but with coursework, exams and being away from home, it can be very stressful, so we want to be here."

Pranjal, 21, a third-year student, said the transition to university from India was "tough" in the first year

Pranjal, 21, a third-year DMU student, said the transition to university from India was "tough" in the first year, adding she may have used the services of the crisis café had it been available sooner.

"You get many assignments and when you're in your final year, you can get tense very easily," she said.

"You can have the stress of working really hard and trying to get a job at the end."

Fellow student Lily, 24, said the café was an "amazing idea".

"It would be really helpful and really good for starting a conversation because I think it's still a little bit of a taboo," she said.

"I think mental health is so important, be aware of how you feel and always reach out if you're struggling."

She added she was "really glad mental health is being talked about a lot more now".

De Montfort Students' Union wellbeing coordinator, Sarah Underhill, added: "There are support networks for students but having this on the doorstep is going to be brilliant.

"The reassurance of having this safe space, having somewhere they can just chat to people, is crucial."

Another café is opening at Loughborough University on 13 October.