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Monday 9:30am - 5pm Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm Thursday 9:30am - 5pm Friday 9:30am - 5pm

Lamp

Lamp is a mental health charity. We support people in mental distress and their carers to make informed choices about their care and treatment.

We provide information on mental health services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. A specialist mental health charity, founded in 1989, with experience advocating for service users in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

01/05/2026

Tickets are now on sale for Lamp Lunchtime with… Paul Tonkinson ()

Join us on Friday 26th June at as we welcome Paul Tonkinson, award-winning comedian, author and endurance runner.

From a Sports Book Award-winning story chasing a sub-three-hour marathon to taking on the Marathon des Sables, Paul brings humour, honesty and a brilliant perspective on resilience and pushing limits.

Guests will enjoy a drink on arrival, a two-course lunch and an engaging live conversation with Paul, followed by audience Q&A.

All profits support Lamp’s independent community mental health advocacy across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Tickets available here:
https://www.lampadvocacy.co.uk/lamp-lunchtime-with-paul-tonkinson/

30/04/2026

What difference does a £25 donation make to Lamp?

£25 might not feel like a significant amount, but at Lamp it plays a vital role in making sure someone is not left to face mental health challenges alone.

For many people, the first contact with Lamp comes at a point of uncertainty, frustration or distress, when they do not know where to turn or who will listen. This is where the Information and Advice Officer makes a real difference.

A £25 donation helps fund that first point of contact. It helps ensure there is a trained member of staff available to respond to a call or an email, take the time to understand someone’s situation, and provide clear, practical guidance.

This is not simply about giving information. It is about listening properly, identifying what support is needed, and helping someone take the next step. That might mean explaining how to access mental health services, supporting someone to understand their rights, or directing them to the most appropriate organisation for their needs.

For many people, this early intervention prevents situations from escalating and gives them a sense of direction at a time when everything can feel overwhelming.

Lamp’s Information and Advice service acts as the front door to advocacy, offering immediate support and ensuring people are not left navigating complex systems on their own .

When you give £25, you are helping to make sure someone is heard at the moment they need it most, and that there is a clear path forward rather than another barrier.

https://www.justgiving.com/charity/lamp

28/04/2026

Lamp Lunchtime with… Paul Tonkinson () Tickets on sale Friday

On Friday 26th June at , we welcome Paul Tonkinson, an award-winning comedian, broadcaster and endurance runner who has built a reputation as one of the most engaging performers on the UK circuit.

Alongside his work in comedy, Paul is also an award-winning author. His book 26.2 Miles to Happiness won Sports Entertainment Book of the Year at the Telegraph Sports Book Awards, and his latest book Running Through Sand tells the story of taking on the Marathon des Sables, a 250km self-sufficient race across the Sahara Desert with just two months training.

It is not a story about winning, it is about setbacks, resilience, ageing and asking a much more honest question. Can you finish?

On the day, guests will receive:
• A drink on arrival
• A two-course lunch at Chutney Ivy
• An opportunity to take home a signed copy of Running through Sand.
• A live, honest conversation with Paul, followed by audience Q&A
• A brilliant afternoon of humour, insight and real conversation

Lamp Lunchtime with… continues to bring people together for proper conversations, with all profits supporting our independent community mental health advocacy across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

🚨 Lamp Lunchtime with… Memberships will also be on sale shortly. Membership will guarantee your spot at each of our lunches, plus some extra membership bonuses. 🚨

Tickets go live Friday. Full details to follow.

Fundraising

26/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday for our latest Lamp Charity Lunchtime With…

A big thank you to for giving his time and sharing his story so openly. Steven spoke about his experiences from his career in law, alongside the themes from his book Drafts, Disclaimers and Deaths, offering honest insight into the realities behind the profession and the human side of the work.

Thank you to for hosting, for the brilliant photos, and Shaf Islam and the team at for looking after us so well.

And finally, thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event.

Our next Lamp Lunchtime With… takes place on Friday 26th June. More details to follow shortly…

16/04/2026

April is Stress Awareness Month, and while many conversations focus on managing stress, the reality for many people is far more serious.

Stress is not always about a busy schedule or a difficult week. It is often about uncertainty, waiting, and not being heard at the point when support is most needed.

Across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, more people are reaching crisis point while facing longer waiting times and reduced access to services. As demand increases and provision becomes more restricted, too many individuals are left to navigate complex systems alone, often without the support they need at the right time.

This is where Lamp’s Empty Seat campaign sits.

The Empty Seat represents the person who should have been supported earlier. It represents the missed opportunity to listen, to intervene, and to change an outcome before things escalate.

When no one listens, people disappear.

Stress builds in that silence. It builds when someone is waiting for help that does not come, when they are not taken seriously, or when they are left to face their situation alone.

Stress Awareness Month should not only be about individual coping strategies. It should also be about recognising the systemic pressures that create and worsen stress in the first place.

We need to ask better questions about who is being left behind and why.

At Lamp, we stand between silence and support. We make sure that people are heard, understood, and empowered to take control of their situation before it reaches crisis point.

If you need support or want to refer someone, please contact:
Advice@LampDirect.org.uk
0116 255 6286

If you can, please support the Empty Seat campaign and help ensure that fewer people are left facing stress and mental health challenges alone:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/theemptyseat

09/04/2026

Can you fill a seat for £5 per month?

At Lamp, we see what happens when no one listens.

People wait for mental health support and receive nothing, they are left navigating systems that are not built for them, and too often they disappear before they are ever properly heard.

4 in 10 people waiting for support receive no help at all.

The Empty Seat in our campaign represents that reality. It is not symbolic, it is someone who should be there and is not getting the support they need.

We are asking you to do something simple but meaningful by giving £5 per month and becoming a Seat Filler. £5 a month is £60 a year, and when people come together it changes what we can deliver.

Seven people giving £5 a month allows Lamp to support one person through their full journey.

That means one person being listened to, one person being guided, and one person not left to struggle alone.

This is not about a one off moment, it is about making sure support is there consistently when people need it most.

If that empty seat does not sit right with you, this is your opportunity to change it.

Fill the seat.
https://donate.justgiving.com/campaign/theemptyseat/donation-amount

07/04/2026

Trustee Opportunity: Treasurer – Lamp (Leicestershire Action for Mental Health)

Lamp is seeking a new Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees at a critical and important time for the organisation.

We are operating in a challenging funding and mental health landscape, with rising demand, increasing pressure on services, and a need to strengthen financial resilience as key funding streams come to an end over the next 15 months.

This role is not just about oversight, it is about helping guide a well respected, frontline mental health charity through a period of transition, growth, and income diversification.

We are looking for someone who can:

• Provide financial oversight and strategic guidance.

• Support strong governance and decision making at Board level.

• Help ensure sustainability as we develop new income streams.

• Work alongside a committed Board and leadership team focused on impact in the Mental Health space across Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.

You do not need to have prior trustee experience, but you should bring financial knowledge, sound judgement, and a willingness to contribute to the direction of the charity.

Lamp delivers independent mental health advocacy across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, ensuring people are heard, understood, and supported when they need it most.

If you are interested in joining us, or would like to find out more, please contact:

Shaun Johnson, Chair of Trustees at ShaunJohnson@lampdirect.org.uk or Liam Deacy, Director of Operations at LiamDeacy@LampDirect.org.uk for more details.

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your networks.

06/04/2026

David is not his real name, but his story is real.

David is in his early fifties. He lives with PTSD, anxiety, and a physical disability and currently uses a wheelchair that is not suitable for his needs.

Despite his age, he is living in accommodation designed for much older people because there has been no appropriate housing option made available to him.

David began using drugs to cope with his mental health and physical pain. As a result, he is now being refused the very treatment and care that could help him stabilise, his substance use is being treated as a barrier, rather than a sign that he needs support.

He is stuck in a system that expects him to get better before it will offer the help that would allow him to get better.

His housing is unsuitable, his mobility support is inadequate and his mental health needs remain unmet.

Lamp is supporting David to challenge this.

We are working alongside him to access appropriate treatment, explore suitable housing options and secure a wheelchair that meets his needs so that he can live with dignity and independence.

David’s story highlights a difficult reality. When mental health, physical disability and substance use intersect, people can be excluded from multiple services at once.

This is where advocacy matters, it ensures that someone is not written off because their situation is complex.

If you need support, contact advice@lampdirect.org.uk or call 0116 255 6286.

If you would like to support Lamp’s work ensuring fewer people disappear when they need help the most, you can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/theemptyseat

20/03/2026

Skip a Cuppa, Donate a Cuppa for Lamp day!

Every day, around 25 million takeaway coffees are bought across the UK. Today, we are asking you to skip one and donate a cuppa instead.

The average takeaway coffee in the UK now costs around £3.60, one small purchase most of us make without thinking.

On the 20th March we are asking people to skip that coffee and donate the £3.60 to us instead.

Skip a coffee today and make sure this seat is not empty tomorrow.

Thousands of people are waiting for mental health support. While they wait, many receive no help at all. During that time people can feel unheard, unsupported, and completely alone.

When no one listens, people disappear.

Lamp exists to stop that from happening. Our advocates stand beside people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, helping them be heard, understand their rights, and navigate mental health services so they are not left to face the system alone.

Skipping one coffee might feel small, but together those small actions help ensure fewer seats are left empty.

If you would like to support the campaign, you can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/theemptyseat

If you need support, you can contact Lamp at Advice@LampDirect.org.uk or call 0116 255 6286.

17/03/2026

Skip a Cuppa, Donate a Cuppa on the 20th March.

The average takeaway coffee in the UK now costs around £3.60, one small purchase most of us make without thinking.

On the 20th March we are asking people to skip that coffee and donate the £3.60 instead.

Skip a coffee today and make sure this seat is isn’t empty tomorrow.

Thousands of people are waiting for mental health support. While they wait, many receive no help at all. During that time people can feel unheard, unsupported, and completely alone.

When no one listens, people disappear.

Lamp exists to stop that from happening. Our advocates stand beside people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, helping them be heard, understand their rights, and navigate mental health services so they are not left to face the system alone.

Skipping one coffee might feel small, but together those small actions help ensure fewer seats are left empty.

If you would like to support the campaign, you can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/theemptyseat

If you need support, you can contact Lamp at Advice@LampDirect.org.uk or call 0116 255 6286.

13/03/2026

Behind every busy restaurant, café and bar is a team working long hours to keep the doors open and customers happy.

Hospitality can be rewarding, but it can also be relentless. Late nights, pressure during service and little time to stop and talk about how you are really doing.

Research from Hospitality Action found that 76% of hospitality workers say they have experienced mental health challenges while working in the industry.

You’ve seen it the colleague who is missing from the staff room, the locker with a few left over items, or the person who just stepped away when things became too much.

When no one listens, people disappear.

If you or someone you know in the hospitality industry needs support or information about our services, please contact us:

Lamp (Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project)

🖥️ www.lampdirect.org.uk
📧 Advice@lampdirect.org.uk
📞 0116 255 6286

If you can, please support our work:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/theemptyseat

Address

9 Newarke Street
Leicester
LE15SN

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 5pm
Thursday	9:30am - 5pm
Friday	9:30am - 5pm

Website

https://linktr.ee/lampadvocacy

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