STREET Pastors are a group of Christians from nearly all the churches in the town who regularly patrol the centre at night, quite literally "the Church on the streets", with the aim of listening, caring and helping.

Identifiable by our blue uniforms with luminous lettering, we go out on patrol every other Friday night, starting around 8pm and sometimes finishing after midnight, and have been doing so since 2009, with an interlude during the COVID lock downs.

Our kit-bag contains many essentials: hand sanitiser, bottles of water, space-blankets, drinks-protectors, a well-stocked first aid kit, and our secret weapon...lollipops, which are often the way to start a conversation! A frequent topic for conversation is "so how much do you get paid?", to which my own response is "there is no pay, but the retirement plan's great", while pointing heavenwards!

We are part of "the Urban Trinity", working with the local police and council teams, supported by our churches. Our funding comes from a variety of sources, mainly local benefactors plus one national shop chain, but donations are always welcome.

We are currently about to start the 12-week training of a new batch of recruits; this covers a wide range of practical life skill subjects such as first aid, prayer, youth culture and effective listening. We also carry information cards so we can share key local information with people we meet who might need it, such as mental health, ex-military support, homelessness and the Food Bank and Best Before Food Store amongst others.

If you're a Christian, have time available and would like to find out more, then please contact us via the newspaper at [email protected]

Mike Czerniak

Lead for Wellington Street Pastors