January 2015 - Cheltenham Street Pastors

Street Pastors are an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people by caring, listening and talking.

We are church members who are willing to offer support, practical help and a visible ministry to those who are out in the town late at night.  We reassure folk who may feel vulnerable, help reduce the fear of crime, provide a listening ear and offer genuine, non-judgmental pastoral support to those who need help.

We are not about preaching but about helping people – the gospel is at the heart of what we do and why we do it, but not at the forefront of what we say.

Cheltenham Street Pastors commissioned the first twenty-one pastors on 1st December 2009 and has operated successfully since then on Saturday nights from 10pm to 4am.   We now have over 50 trained Street Pastors who come from 30 churches in Cheltenham and the surrounding area.

In the years since starting we have helped over 12,000 people and collected up over 12,000 discarded bottles and glasses which otherwise might have caused injury or been used as weapons.  Overall we gave out 5,500 pairs of flip flops, 5,000 bottles of water and 400 foil blankets.  We have also provided first aid to 100 people and attended almost 200 anti-social incidents.

The local Police Inspector has said that “Street Pastors act as a safety net to pick up vulnerable people who may be casualties of the night time economy”.
 
The police have also said that they have no doubt that Street Pastors have made a contribution to the fall in crime in Cheltenham.

Four new Street Pastors were commissioned at the 5th Anniversary Service of Cheltenham Street Pastors which was held at St Michael & All Angels Church in Bishops Cleeve on Saturday 29th November 2014.

The address was given by the Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Rt Reverend Martyn Snow, and the four new Street Pastors were commissioned by Captain Steve Smith from the Salvation Army.
Music was led by a group from Cheltenham Street Pastors, and two Street Pastors gave testimonies about their work.