Faith eases weekend nights out

Street Pastors have the motto 'To listen, to care, to help'

The Street Pastors movement was started by Christians in London in 2003 in response to issues such as knife crime and drug abuse.

The idea is that listening and talking to people on the streets at weekends, and helping out where necessary, can help ease social problems.

A team of Street Pastors took to the streets of Southampton at Easter 2009.

Volunteers received intensive training in how to deal with difficult situations and individuals.

Useful service for the city

Geoff Annas, who set up the Southampton Street Pastors, admits it isn't the conventional sort of activity that many Christians do:

Geoff Annas set up the local scheme which now has 48 volunteers

"This city comes alive, it's vibrant on a Friday and Saturday night. As a Christian, I'm aware the church is doing very little for this vast number of people. It's about living out our faith and putting it in into practice."

The project has backing from the police and city council and Geoff insists they are a useful presence around the city's nightspots:

"The police can be distracted by minor matters like drunk people trying to get home, so if we can free up the police to deal with more serious matters, that's a very positive thing."

"We can also cut the number of hospital admissions over the weekend by helping treat minor cuts and helping prevent potential fights."

On the streets

The Street Pastors are on patrol from 10pm to 4am. They are backed up by a team praying at Street Pastor HQ, and by other supporters praying at home.

I have the best job in the whole of Southampton. What's beautiful about it is that it's so simple and the volunteers we have are so keen to help others. Richard Pitt, Co-ordinator for Southampton Street Pastors

The volunteers come from 30 churches across the city and range in age from 19 to 78. They each go out one night per month.

The scheme runs in close cooperation with the Southampton Safe City Partnership and Licensing Link, who provide a radio which keeps the team in touch with door staff and police on duty.

Street pastors are called to assist police or door staff using radio communication at least once per shift so they can provide basic welfare for members of the public.

Appreciated

Response to pastors is 'fantastic'. People 'appreciate the support'

Richard Pitt, co-ordinator for Southampton Street Pastors says: "We tend to help the lost, unwell and vulnerable people on the streets.

"They really welcome our assistance, which can be anything from having a chat and comforting them to giving them basic first aid or finding them a taxi home."

One of the services they offer is giving out free flip-flops to drunk women who are walking in bare feet. They gave out 188 pairs in their first two months on duty.

Richard Pitt says they are now 'struggling to supply them' to all the women who take off their high heels to walk home after a night out in the city.

Although his role is testing at times, Richard says: "I have the best job in the whole of Southampton. What's beautiful about it is that it's so simple and the volunteers we have are so keen to help others."

"The thanks we get from the public aids the motivation too. It tends to be in the following weeks when we see the people we've helped again that they are really grateful."

Anyone wanting to volunteer for the Southampton Street Pastors can call Richard Pitt on 023 8099 9896.