Street Pastors: Difference between revisions
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==Services provided== |
==Services provided== |
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Street |
Street Pastors is designed to provide a reassuring presence in local communities. Individual street pastors seek to listen to and talk with people in their local community, to provide information on local agencies, help and services, and to discourage anti-social behaviour. <ref name=bbcdorset>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2008/11/24/street_pastors_feature.shtml Street Pastors in Weymouth], BBC News, 24 November 2008</ref> |
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Practical |
Practical help provided by street pastors include handing out [[space blanket]]s outside [[nightclub]]s, and [[flip-flops]] to clubbers unable to walk home in their [[high heels]]; giving out water, chocolate for energy, and [[personal alarm]]s; carrying bus timetables; and ensuring the safety of vulnerable persons. Street pastors remove bottles and other potential weapons from the streets, in order to discourage violence and vandelism.<ref name=perth-response>[http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2008/04/18/story11230004t0.shtm Perth Street Pastors ‘blown away’ by public’s response], Perth ''Evening Telegraph'', 18 April 2008</ref> They may also have access to [[sleeping bag]]s stored in church buildings as a last resort.<ref name=bbcdevon>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2007/12/19/street_pastors_feature.shtml Street Pastors in Plymouth], BBC News, 19 December 2007</ref><ref name=makingadiff/><ref name=bbcsunderland/> |
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==Responses to Street Pastors== |
==Responses to Street Pastors== |
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Revision as of 12:32, 25 November 2011
 | |
| Formation | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable network |
| Headquarters | London |
Region served | United Kingdom, other countries following |
| Les Isaac | |
Parent organization | Ascension Trust |
| Website | streetpastors.co.uk |
 |
Street Pastors is an interdenominational network of Christian charities operating across the UK and world wide.
Street Pastors is an initiative of Ascension Trust. Individual street pastors are Christian adults with a concern for their community, who undergo 12 days of training in order to voluntarily patrol the streets of towns and cities at night, helping and caring for people in practical ways. The initiative began in the United Kingdom and is being copied in other countries.[1]
Street pastors wear a blue uniform, with the term 'Street Pastor' visible in white. Street pastors work closely with councils and police in their local areas, but maintain an operational independence. Street pastors seek to maintain confidentiality so far as is legal, and do not have any powers of enforcement or arrest. Street pastors are expected to provide services without discrimination on any grounds. The aim of Street Pastors is not to proactively preach or evangelise, but to provide a neutral and reassuring presence in local communities.[1][2][3]
History
Street Pastors was founded in Brixton, south London, UK in 2003 by Rev. Les Isaac. It was based on a model from Jamaica in which individual churches cooperated to provide a presence on the streets.[1][4] Street Pastors is an initiative of the Ascension Trust, a registered charity established in 1993. The initial activities of street pastors in areas such as Lewisham and Hackney focussed mainly on confronting gang culture and the use of knives and guns. As Street Pastors started to operate in other areas of the UK, the initiative responded to other local issues, including anti-social behanvior and drunkenness.[5]
By 2008 there were Street Pastors groups in 70 locations, with another 50 being established.[4] As of May 2011[update] the official website states that there are over 150 active groups.[6]
In January 2010 Ascension Trust devolved responsibility to oversee Street Pastors in Scotland to Ascension Trust (Scotland), registered Scottish charity. Ascension Trust (Scotland) was officially launched at a ceremony in Holyrood, the seat of the Scottish Parliament. All Street Pastor initiatives in Scotland are now coordinated through Ascension Trust (Scotland), which has an office in Perth, and whose first chairman is Sandy Scrimgeour.[7]
In 2010 Michael Frost and others established the first Australian group in Manly, New South Wales.
Training and support for volunteers
Individual street pastors are Christians, over the age of 18, committed to a local church for at least one year, who pass an enhanced CRB check and who have a positive reference from their church leader stating that they would be suitable to be a Street Pastor and are leading a Christian lifestyle. They must complete 12 training sessions spread over a year, covering subjects including conflict management, counselling and basic first-aid.[8]
Street Pastors is also supported by 'Prayer Pastors', who do not patrol but who provide support to street pastors by praying for them and sometimes keep in touch with them by mobile phone.[9]
Services provided
Street Pastors is designed to provide a reassuring presence in local communities. Individual street pastors seek to listen to and talk with people in their local community, to provide information on local agencies, help and services, and to discourage anti-social behaviour. [9]
Practical help provided by street pastors include handing out space blankets outside nightclubs, and flip-flops to clubbers unable to walk home in their high heels; giving out water, chocolate for energy, and personal alarms; carrying bus timetables; and ensuring the safety of vulnerable persons. Street pastors remove bottles and other potential weapons from the streets, in order to discourage violence and vandelism.[10] They may also have access to sleeping bags stored in church buildings as a last resort.[3][4][8]
Responses to Street Pastors
The Ascension Trust did not start out by seeking official support, knowing that many of the people they were trying to reach did not trust the police.[1] Police and ambulance services were initially concerned that the Street Pastors would cause them more work, as targets for trouble, but later conceded that street pastors help to deal with people who would otherwise take up a lot of their time, and some have positively praised the scheme.[4][7] The Trust claims that some remarkable reductions in crime have been recorded where the Street Pastors were working,[2][11] and some of these are confirmed by official figures.[12]
Politicians who have expressed admiration or support for the scheme include UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.[4]
Frank Soodeen of the pressure group Alcohol Concern also praises the street pastors, for helping drunken young people to get home safely.[5]
Many local groups have won community awards.[13]
Some people on the street insult street pastors as they pass.[9] However, even among those who are abusive to the emergency services, people generally respond well to street pastors.[4][10]
References
- ^ a b c d Dominic Casciani, Street pastors on a mission from God, BBC News, 5 November 2004
- ^ a b Street Pastors on patrol in Birmingham, BBC News, 4 February 2005
- ^ a b Street Pastors in Plymouth, BBC News, 19 December 2007
- ^ a b c d e f Rowena Mason (in Sutton), Street pastors making a difference after-hours, Daily Telegraph, 1 Jun 2008
- ^ a b Emily Dugan (in Derby), A night on the town: Vomit, violence and God, The Independent, 17 January 2010
- ^ Current Locations on official website
- ^ a b ‘Valuable addition’ say police, Perthshire Advertiser, 10 March 2009
- ^ a b Sunderland street pastors hit the streets in Sunderland, BBC News, 9 July 2010
- ^ a b c Street Pastors in Weymouth, BBC News, 24 November 2008
- ^ a b Perth Street Pastors ‘blown away’ by public’s response, Perth Evening Telegraph, 18 April 2008
- ^ Crime drops after street pastor patrols, Christian Institute, 27 Apr 2010
- ^ Crime 'drop' after pastor patrols in Northampton, BBC News, 23 April 2010
- ^ Awards on official website
External links
- streetpastors.co.uk, official website
- Street Pastors on patrol in Birmingham, BBC News Feature (with interviews), February 2005