ISSUE 2
CARING LISTENING HELPING
Street Pastors Conference Archbishop Sentamu
Scotland Ascension Trust to set up as a charity
Caribbean Street Pastors impacting the streets
i=change
Sons and daughters have visions
Safe & Sound w w w. s t re e t p a s t o r s . o r g . u k
Revd David Shosanya
Regional Minister for Mission with The London Baptist Association and co-founder of the Street Pastors Initiative
1QE. Tel. 020 7771 9770
info@ascensiontrust.org.uk www.streetpastors.org.uk
Retired Anglican Minister & National Director of the Crosswinds Prayer Trust
Oliver Nyumbu
Chief Executive of Caret
Registered charity number 1039580
Thursday 12 Nov
the 21st century.
Professor Professor John Pitts: hire Studies, University
of Socio-Legal
of Bedfords
Boris Johnson: Mayor
Director of Next Leadership
Mike Royal: Mike is
Superintendent Andy Pratt Lancashire Constabulary
James Duce
Coordinator of Aberdeen Street Pastors
Ben Stansfield
Executive Director of Pecan
the National Director
Workshops 1:
streets gangs on our local A. Understanding practice stories and B. Capturing good across the UK experiences from nities C. Transformed Commu
of
The Lighthouse Group
: Coordinator of Enfield Street
Alison Murray Pastors
Duce Co-coordinator James Duce: Street Pastors
of Aberdeen
Director of Pecan
eld Executive Ben Stansfield: tor s National Prayer Coordina Wendy Thomas: ’ for ‘Love Southend aor & Prayer Coordint
ns Retired Anglican Minister John Simmons: Trust National Director
&
s Prayer of the Crosswind
Workshops 2:
A. Prayer hip nity Cohesion, Partners B. Policing, Commu and Protocol nity Faith and Commu C. The Government: Cohesion
Pratt Pratt:
SuperintendentlaryAndy
of London
Workshops
Workshop Speakers
Lancashire Constabu
RATIO N EVEN ING CELEB
Professor of Socio-Legal Studies, University of Bedfordshire
Canon Revd John Simmons
ical a Christian theolog The Bishop will give the challenges facing reflection on the current ur and to anti-social behavio in nation with regards t and practical church the role of the relevan
Revd Dr Kate Coleman
Professor John Pitts
PO Box 3916, London, SE19
Bishop of Woolwich Manicaland
AN REVD DR KATE COLEM ARMY BAND AND WITH SALVAT ION
Workshops 3:
tor of Manchester
Friday 13 Nov
Bishop of Woolwich
un: opher Chessof The Rt Revd Christ of Diocese and Urban Bishop
Minister Shosanya: Regional n and Revd David London Baptist Associatio for Mission with The Street Pastors Initiative co-founder of the
ical reflection on
vid will give a theolog David ‘City of Refuge’.
the
Commissioner Deputy Assistant itan Police Rod Jarman: Metropol
Tony Winter: Coordina Pastor Inner City, South
i=change Team Jake Isaac and and of Ascension Trust Revd Les Isaac: CEO Street Pastors Initiative. Director of co-founder and
the
Street Pastors mony Graduation Cere
Street
ent for Commun
David Rayner: Departm (DCLG) ent
& Local Governm
Statistician and
Steve Smallwood:Street Pastors Coordinator for Eastleigh
Andy Turner: Church Duce, Alison Murray, James Stansfield & Mike Royal, Ben Pratt Superintendent Andy
RATIO N EVEN ING CELEB Saturday 14 Nov
The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun
Keynote Speaker
Date
Street Pastors ony Graduation Cerem
Archbishop of York
ME
M GRA PRO
control the organise r’s to change outside me may be subject Confere nce Program
Dr John Sentamu
S ER .. K EA E. SP LUD INC
Urban Fund
ities
practice stories and A. Capturing good across the UK experiences from streets gangs on our local B. Understanding nities C. Transformed Commu ing D. Effective Fundrais
Workshops 4:
nity Faith and Commu A. The Government: Cohesion good statistics B. How to gather 21st century C. Policing in the
NYUMB U TEAM AND OLIVER AND I=CHAN GE WITH JAKE ISAAC
6th Annual Street Pastors er Graduation Dinn
6.30pm
t ur n, Co do rls on Ea d, L on a 1UD nd Ro 6 is Lo Lillie SW 09 l Ib 47 te ov Ho 4N m y 1 .30p a 6 d ur e: t Sa Tim
In this
MESSAGE FROM
ISSUE...
4 Message from Susan Stevenson 4 From the Editor
10
5 MP Gives Full Support 6-7 Devon & Cornwall
e are truly thankful for yet another year of growth for the Street Pastors initiative. Over the past year, a number of key developments have taken place. More and more people have come on board nationally, but significantly we are now also on the verge of international development as enquiries from overseas have continued to increase. This has been a key indicator for us as an organisation that we have reached a new threshold. Our aim in managing this growth is to ensure that good processes, structures and lines of accountability are put in place and maintained in order to accommodate the development. We are also keen to foster continued development in terms of partnerships with the Urban Trinity i.e. the Church, the Police and Local Government.
13
10 Impacting Caribbean Streets 11 Chosen for Mayor’s Charity 12-13 School Pastors 13 Archbishop at Conference
An exciting development has been the establishment of Ascension Trust Street Pastors as a separate charity in Scotland. We are hoping that this will come fully on stream by November 2009.
14
The establishment of teams in Antigua and Barbuda has also been another fantastic development with excellent government support on the island for the initiative.
14 Slowly but Surely
I cannot fail to mention the exciting developments that are taking place with School Pastors. Even before Street Pastors took off, the plan was to establish the School Pastors initiative but several factors made it impractical. Notwithstanding, we now have five School Pastors initiatives up and running. With all the excitement and enquiries that School Pastors is generating, we are anticipating some significant developments in the future.
15 Changing Face of Norwich
18
16-17 Nothing Stops Me
But even as we witness such exciting developments, the initiative does have its challenges, the major one being a lack of resources in terms of finances. However, we are people of faith and we continue to work in anticipation of donations coming in and we work incredibly hard to find new sources of funding, all the time exercising diligence and prudence with what we do have.
18 Sons and Daughters 19 Read the History
19 CEO Revd Les Isaac EDITOR Joy Roxborough DESIGN emajeen@ymail.com PUBLISHER
STREET PASTORS... an initiative of Ascension Trust, is an interdenominational church response to the problems of urban society. Established in 1993, Ascension Trust desires to see Christians working effectively with their local churches, community and society.
Ascension Trust
ADVERTISING PO Box 3916 020 7771 9770
CEO: Revd Les Isaac BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Juliane Hedman Susan Stevenson Rhona Lawson-Goveia Jimi Adeleye Les Isaac
DIRECTOR, ASCENSION TRUST & STREET PASTORS INITIATIVE
W
8 Ascension Trust in Scotland 9 Heathfield Street Cred
LES ISAAC
Street Pastors is a joint initiative. Therefore, as I see the issues that face us as a society, whether we represent the Government, the Police or the Church, not one of us can say that we can handle the issues adequately and effectively on our own. We all need each other and unless we get beyond the suspicion and the politics and actually do some serious strategising, the problems we face within society will be with us for a long time. We have some brilliant young people out there and it is important that we empower them also to become a part of the solution.
I am constantly humbled by the zeal and tenacity of the people who are getting involved with the initiative. They have come from so many different backgrounds, bringing with them a wealth of experience and expertise. I wish to say a big thank you to you all on behalf of Ascension Trust and pray that people will continue to support or consider supporting an initiative that is helping to make a difference in the lives of those we serve across this nation and increasingly across the world.
Femi Ladega Dr Chinyere Ekhator Moses Mbakwe TREASURER Michael Amoah BOARD OF REFEREES Revd Lyndon Bowring
Revd Joseph Boadu Lynn Green Roger Forster Graham Kendrick Revd Joel Edwards Revd Kate Coleman Revd Calvin Young The Rt Revd Dr Richard Cheetham
Dr Nigel Wright Revd Doug Williams BOARD OF ADVISORS Courtney Griffiths QC Angela Sarkis CBE Supt Andrew Pratt Alan Smith David Burrowes MP
Charles Eve PATRONS Ram Gidoomal CBE David Burrowes MP
For more information contact us PO Box 3916, London, SE19 1QE. | Tel. 020 7771 9770 | info@ascensiontrust.org.uk | www.streetpastors.org.uk
AN INITIATIVE OF ASCENSION TRUST | CARING LISTENING HELPING
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G S SA
ME
E
m f ro
n, o s e n us t
...
v on Tr e t n S e nsi
a sc S uss te e, A Tr u
From
the Editor
T
he Revd Susan Stevenson has been a trustee of Ascension Trust for almost t wo years. Her involvement with Street Pastors began some seven to eight years ago in her capacity as one of the Borough Deans in Lambeth, representing churches to the local authority.
“I was attracted to Street Pastors because of the initiative’s authenticity and integrity and also because of how it partners with the local authorities and the police,” Susan said. “I found such integrity and openness fascinating. “My role as a trustee mainly involves offering support, reflection and discernment as Ascension Trust develops the Street Pastors initiative. Trustees ensure that there is a process of accountabilit y and they explore good and appropriate ways for ward. “When I have been out with the Brixton team, I have been surprised how many people have come up to us to talk. It was a privilege to be in the right place at the right time and to see the Church on the streets enabling people’s faith to come alive. I feel deeply that what the initiative is doing is right. “For many people, the decision to become a Street Pastor is a significant step, in some ways easy, in other ways difficult. But once taken, the decision lets loose a whole world of life and even joy, not only for the volunteers but also for those whose lives their work impacts.” Susan is currently pursuing an MTh (Master of Theology in Applied Theology) and is writing her dissertation on ‘Street Pastors in Lambeth: a reflection on partnership’. She is the Minister of Blackheath and Charlton Baptist Church in Greenwich.
Joy Roxborough It has been a pleasure to be involved for the second year with the collation and writing of the stories for issue two of ‘On the Streets’. For me, it has been like a grand international tour of the fantastic work that the Street Pastors initiative is doing in so many places. It never fails to impact me emotionally whenever I hear the countless moving stories of the difference that staff and volunteers make to people’s lives—from Camborne in Cornwall, across the country and right up to Scotland. It can range from a small gesture like giving someone a pair of flip-flops to ease aching feet through to saying an encouraging word that stops someone from committing suicide; these stories never fail to inspire in me hope that the negativisms so prevalent in society today are only one side of the story. I trust that as you read through this issue of ‘On the Streets’ you will likewise be inspired with hope and perhaps be encouraged to contact Ascension Trust to see how you too can become involved in the work of the Street or School Pastors. __________________________________________________________ Joy is a freelance journalist/writer.To contact her, tel: 01922 635092; 07746 156343.
AN INITIATIVE OF ASCENSION TRUST | CARING LISTENING HELPING
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David Burrowes, Shadow Justice Minister
In
recent months, the nation has been sickened by the constant news stories of public servants abusing privileges and sparing nothing to serve themselves. But despite the doom and gloom, there are MPs out there who are serving their communities in all sorts of ways and MP for Enfield Southgate and Shadow Justice Minister, David Burrowes, is just one such. In his capacity as an MP, David has thrown his weight behind the Street Pastors initiative, enabling them to reach out more effectively to the community of Enfield.
David first became involved with the initiative in 2002 when he was a Counsellor for Enfield. He was impressed with what he saw as a Christian organisation reaching out.
the initiative is wholly inclusive through their Christian love and compassion for the vulnerable. Their presence provides reassurance for the community and the police also welcome them.” An MP since 2005, David uses his influence to represent Street Pastors in Parliament. In a recent parliamentary debate, ʻChristians in Public Lifeʼ, his representation gained widespread support and respect for the Street Pastors. Earlier this year, David hosted a reception at the House of Commons for a national gathering of Street Pastors coordinators. He is currently a patron and a member of the board of advisors for Street Pastors.
“Street Pastors is an organisation that demonstrates what it means to care for communities and to love oneʼs neighbours,” David said. “I am impressed with the way they roll up their sleeves and get stuck into their communities, working out what compassion means. The Street Pastors are not judgemental and
AN INITIATIVE OF ASCENSION TRUST | CARING LISTENING HELPING
5
s
or t s a tP
e e r t S
e v i t a Initi
g n i d o l p x E in Dev
on and C
In
just over 14 months of starting operations in the holiday town of Torbay, the Street Pastors initiative is now stretching across Devon and Cornwall. “Exciting things are happening here!” said Ros Ede, who coordinates the Torbay group with her husband, Roger. “By next year there could be Street Pastors in as many as 18 locations across the county.” Yet despite such robust expansion, it was a very different picture at the outset. Ros first came across the Street Pastors initiative in a brochure she was given. She was excited and took it to discuss with a group of Christians she met with. “But the idea fell as flat as a pancake because of the costs to run it,” she recalls.
ornwall
S Somewhat deflated, Ros went browsing on the Weston Super Mare Street Pastors website and to her surprise, there on the front page was a story written by Jenny Simons, her former vicarʼs wife from 30 years ago! Ros contacted Jenny and within two days she was out on the streets with them. Later, Jenny and her husband, John, gave a presentation on the Street Pastors initiative in Ros and Rogerʼs home. The chairman and deputy chairman of the group that Ros had originally presented the idea to were in attendance. Their excitement grew as they saw the possibilities, so much so that they decided to give funds from a dormant trust to Street Pastors for the work in Torbay. The momentum mounted and in June 2007, 90 people, including the police and the town mayor, gathered for the launch of Torbayʼs Street Pastors initiative. Eight months later, 37 Street Pastors took to the streets of Torbay for the very first time. Within 14 months the number increased to 59. “I am proud to say that Torbay was the first to start in Devon and Cornwall,” said Ros, with a twinkle in her eye. “And now itʼs exploding all across Devon and Cornwall.
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“Along with us, Plymouth and Ilfracombe now also have initiatives up and running. “Bideford, Exeter and Totnes have launched theirs. And Barnstaple, Dartmouth, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Sidmouth, Tavistock and Tiverton are all showing an interest. Camborne is up and running in Cornwall and Bodmin, Falmouth, Newquay and St Austell are interested. It is absolutely wonderful to see how the Street Pastors initiative is working! “Here in Torbay, we have the support of 23 prayer pastors, 175 friends who have committed to donate £10 per year and 21 home prayers who pray in their homes for us and to whom we send a regular newsletter. At the last count, 21 churches from all the Christian denominations were involved. “The response to our presence on the streets has been overwhelming. People call us ʻlegendsʼ and they are grateful that we are out there for them. The welcome we received far outweighs any opposition we faced. Police, taxi-men and club doormen are saying that things have been more peaceful since we came. And the local Subway sandwich bar has said we can have free drinks and half prices andwiches for ourselves and those we care for. There are a lot of homeless people here so Subwayʼs generosity is particularly welcome.” Roger, Rosʼ husband, said, “The Street Pastors have made a considerable difference in the area and itʼs absolutely brilliant! When the idea was first brought up there was a degree of scepticism but now other groups see us as part of the solution and the initiative has been great for getting Christians to come out from their four walls and for getting all the denominations working together.” “Street Pastors is an excellent initiative,” said Assistant Chief Constable, Paul Netherton, of the Devon and Cornwall Police. “It is a way that the Church can demonstrate pastoral care and actively get involved in making towns and villages safer and better places. We fully support the Street Pastors initiative and are working closely with churches in Devon and Cornwall.”
of us spoke with that woman, it was one of those nights when the team felt that nothing had happened.” Other messages of thanks include an email from ʻa thankful parentʼ addressed to ʻTo whom it may concernʼ. It read, ʻJust a short message to say thank you very much to the Street Pastor who brought my son home safely last night. Itʼs the first time he has been drunk and he is now slowly recovering, licking his wounds! I dread to think what would have happened to him if the person concerned wasnʼt there. I thank you again and keep up the good work. The Street Pastors are a good help to the so many youngsters, or adults, who need help in bad situations. Letʼs hope that it will be a lesson to my lad and next time he will think wisely. Yours sincerely…ʼ
the Torbay rdinators of Ede: Co-o r ge give a talk Ro to d visit Ros an e during a ors initiativ y. Street Past ua rq in To ation Army to the Salv
On a more light hearted note, another email came from a female holiday maker to whom the Street Pastors had given a pair of flip flops, saying: ʻ…this random act of kindness absolutely blew me away, and I havenʼt stopped talking about it since…I call [the flip flops] My Gifts From God…I just want to say thank you, your team were like guardian angels, and you are very brave putting yourself out there on party programme night.ʼ
“…I just want to say thank you, your team were like guardian angels...”
Messages of thanks have been flooding in to the Torbay teams from grateful recipients of their help and kindness. One that stands out to Ros was when a woman approached one of the teams and said, ʻThank you for saving my life.ʼ One month previously, this womanʼs husband had left her with two children, one autistic, and she had gone to the harbour to get drunk and then to drown herself in the harbour. As she sat on the harbour side, extremely upset, one of the Street Pastors had sat with her, put her arm around her and spoke to her. No one knows exactly what was said, but it was enough to make her change her mind. She also reported that life has been better since.
And even as the Street Pastors allow themselves to be used as angels to help the people around them, they too apparently have angels assigned to them. One night a man travelled all the way from Bristol to pray for them. He prayed for the team and then blew a shofar (ramʼs horn) over them and then, in tears, asked for prayer for himself. When team leader, Trevor Staveley, put his hand on the manʼs shoulder the word that came to him was—ʻAngelʼ! Early one morning, as Torbayʼs night life winds down and the Street Pastors sign off using the NiteNet wireless radio handset, a message comes back from the Police who are likewise grateful for the work the Street Pastors are doing—one sentence saying: ʻThank you for the great job you did tonight!ʼ
“The thing about it,” said Ros, “is that the night when one
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ASCENSION TRUST
TO BE SET UP AS A CHARITY
in SCOTLAND!
Ascension Trust is soon to be established as a charity in Scotland. Talks are currently underway between Ascension Trust (London) and various contacts in Scotland and the aim is to have the master licence agreement signed by October 2009.
M
r Sandy Scrimgeour, retired Chief Superintendent of Tayside Police, has been appointed as chairperson of the new organisation.
with us. All of us who are involved with the initiative feel it is at the same time exciting and a little bit scary the way it is taking off.
Eustace Constance, Operations Manager of Ascension Trust (London) said, “This is a ground breaking step in the evolution of Ascension Trust Street Pastors and we will be learning some valuable lessons that can be applied in whole or in part to other areas, especially when we are talking about working in different countries.
“I am happy to go anywhere in the country to talk to people about Street Pastors as long as they invite us.”
“One of the reasons we are taking this route is that separate charity laws govern Scotland. We have also developed good relationships with some excellent people in that country and given the growth of Street Pastors that is happening in Scotland, all the ingredients seemed to be in place to pursue it as a pilot. “We are treating the process very carefully. It is one that we have not rushed. We donʼt want to take it for granted that any English laws apply to Scotland and it is also important that we have the right people to go through the process with. “The relationship we will have with Scotland will not be too different from the relationship we have with other areas in England. Ascension Trust (London) will serve as a central hub to generally oversee all operations but Ascension Trust (Scotland) will operate and manage themselves locally and be responsible for things like selecting local personnel, including their vice chair.”
Eustace Constance added, “We have had expressions of interest in Street Pastors from several other countries, including Miami, Florida, Canada, Cambodia, Australia, Nigeria and Ghana. As the word continues to spread we increasingly have to look at overseas expansion as part of the development of Street Pastors. What happens in Scotland will no doubt serve as a framework upon which we can develop good working practice as we take things forward with our other interests abroad.” “Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and has one of the biggest nightclub cultures in Europe. At weekends, there are upwards of 100,000 people on the streets on any given night. Working in conjunction with the Strathclyde Police, Glasgow Street Pastors patrol the city centre to assist people in need and to help keep the peace. We received an email recently that said: ʻStreet Pastors in Glasgow are an absolute credit to our city!ʼ” Peter Dunn, Coordinator, Glasgow Street Pastors
Chairperson, Sandy Scrimgeour, said: “It seems to me that all the training I have received in the police force has been preparing me for this role. The police force here has a can-do attitude and that ethos is certainly needed when working to get the Street Pastors initiative going. It is a strong initiative that relies on strong relationships between the Church, police and local authorities. “Street Pastors is a tremendous initiative and this is certainly the view of the people we meet on the streets: they will often cross the road to come and shake hands
Local t n v o G ernme
URBANY
Police
TRINIT
AN INITIATIVE OF ASCENSION TRUST | CARING LISTENING HELPING
Church
8
HIGH STREET CRED FOR HEATHFIELD STREET PASTORS
ʻStreet credʼ
is running high for Heathfield Street Pastors, especially when young people of the small rural town realise that their ʻtrustworthy friends of the communityʼ are doing what they do without being paid. As they make their rounds meeting lots of youngsters, waiters wave, cars honk and an old lady sits by her window every Friday evening just so she can wave as they go down her street. “We could do with some of you in our town!” declare a group of teenagers from a neighbouring town following a conversation with a group of the Street Pastors they ran into recently. But Heathfieldʼs neighbours will have to get their own because the people of Heathfield are not about to give up their Street Pastors, even if that were possible. The general consensus is that the Street Pastors are helping to make Heathfield feel safe. “Itʼs hard to prove with figures because the crime rate here is generally low and the statistics for Heathfield form part of a larger area,” said coordinator, Ruth Waller, “but a local police officer told us that she felt last summer was one of the quietest in Heathfield and that Street Pastors had really helped to make a difference. There has also been a definite drop in low level vandalism.” The team in Heathfield recently celebrated their first anniversary as Street Pastors. This was marked with a commissioning service at which the dedicated team of 15 was increased to 19. Thirteen churches in the town and district cancelled their Sunday morning services to facilitate the event and, along with leading members of the community, more than 350 people attended.
“It was simply remarkable,” Ruth said. “We also had this level of support from the churches last year when they all cancelled their services to attend ʻAll Together at Pentecostʼ and to support the Street Pastors initiative. All through our first year of operations they have been absolutely fantastic. Everyone feels that this is their project. People have given financially without being asked. The prayer team has been amazing. We have had masses of support. “The police and the town council have also given total support and the response to our presence out on the streets has been very positive. Weʼve gone into primary schools and the college and the kids know us now. They know we are not the police—we established that from quite early on. The Rector introduced us as ʻtrustworthy friends of the communityʼ during a primary school assembly and that term has stuck with us ever since. “Underage drinking is an issue in Heathfield and so our work among the youth is important. We recently started going out on the streets after school too, from about 3 to 5 pm, on a Friday, once per month and the response to that has been very positive. Just being a presence is making an impact. “For instance, we visit the recreation ground and on a couple of occasions weʼve noticed parked cars. We cannot say for definite but on those occasions we had our suspicions and an uneasy feeling that something untoward was about to happen. We remained in position, not doing anything, just talking, and one by one the cars drove away.
“We learnt later that there had been drug trading in the area. We also had reports that several arrests were made shortly after that. “Lots of prayers have been going up for streets, areas, schools and for us as we are out walking. We pray ourselves as well as we are out on our rounds—as we walk past houses we pray for the people who live there.
“The recession has hit small towns like ours and so we also stand in the street sometimes and pray...” As the Street Pastors leave their indelible mark on the town of Heathfield, they form a reassuring presence for young and old alike. A group of older ladies come out of a restaurant in the evening and ask if the Street Pastors can walk them home. Yes, of course they can. Another lady is frantic because she has lost her dog, can the Street Pastors help. Yes, of course they can and offer to pray that he will be found. The dog ran home and the lady drove round town to find and thank the Street Pastors.
“Who knows,” says Ruth, with a smile, “but that lady may stop to think that God loves her enough to care about every detail of her life including her dog that was lost. Thank God that now he is found!”
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Left to right: Street Pastors Coordinators for Antigua, Martin and Paula Callam, with Executive Chair of the Antigua and Barbuda Street Pastors initiative and Pastor of First Nazarene Church in Grayʼs Farm, William Holder..
STREET PASTORS
G IN T C A P IM CARIBBEAN STREETS
M
artin and Paula Callam left the UK to coordinate Street Pastors in Antigua just over a year ago. Swapping their home base in Norwich for the sunny Caribbean island took a little bit of getting used to but the news is good on that side of the world. “One of the major encouragements since we arrived has been the enthusiasm of the Street Pastors and to see how pleased they are that we came,” said Paula. “We had a lot of administrative tidying up to do when we arrived, like sorting out the lists of people who had at some point expressed interest in Street Pastors. Once that was completed we found that we had 40 active members and it has been great working alongside them. “But of course, moving to a new country has involved a major cultural adjustment and even though Antiguaʼs background does have UK influences some things were a little more difficult to get used to. For example, many places here donʼt have definite addresses as in the UK. So our address would simply be Swetes Village and it took the postman three months to find us. Now that he knows we are here, there isnʼt a problem.” Out on the streets, Martin and Paula found things a little bit different from the UK as well. “When we arrived,” Paula said, “we had teams out just on Friday nights. Weʼve now organised the Street Pastors into nine teams of between four and seven people. Two teams go out each Friday: one in town and one in English Harbour or an-
other section of the island. And two teams go out on two Saturdays each month. “Weʼve found that unlike in Norwich where there are thousands of people out on the streets on Friday nights, there are considerably less out on Antiguan streets and noticeably less women out. Couples tend to be out on Saturday nights in Antigua so thatʼs when you will see more of the women. “Another difference is that here many of the people we meet on the streets have an intellectual consciousness of faith issues even though they do not personally adhere to them, whereas in the UK that consciousness as well as the adherence is less apparent. And because people here have that consciousness without the personal conviction, it can sometimes create its own challenging dynamics when we have conversations with them on the streets. “But we are making inroads. As an example, we met a man one night and as we chatted together the conversation led to a discussion about choices. Two weeks later, we met the same man and he was angry because a gang had robbed him for the third time and he was planning to take revenge on them. He approached us to talk about that and we were able to talk him out of it by pointing out the consequences to himself and his family. We believe that the initial conversation helped to pave the way for him to approach us when he was upset. “Altogether, we are encouraged by all that is happening here. We have excellent support from the government; among other things, they have provided us with use of a fully
maintained minibus and this is so important to our operations because the transportation system here is unreliable. “A number of the pastors here are also Street Pastors and they have been instrumental in getting their congregations involved.” Police Officer, William Holder, who is also Executive Chair of Antigua and Barbuda Street Pastors and Pastor of the First Nazarene Church in Grayʼs Farm, a deprived area in St. Johnʼs, said: “Over the past year we have seen a heightened awareness of the Street Pastors initiative and the role they play in our country. Our increased presence on the streets has proved to be very successful. People have handed over knives and implements used in burglaries. But since the global economic meltdown we have also seen more homeless, hungry, frustrated, depressed and angry people on our streets who are looking for someone to help them. In order to meet this growing demand, we need even more trained Street Pastors so that we can visit additional key areas more frequently.” Martin and Paula will be leading a delegation of Street Pastors from Antigua to the UK this November. The delegates will be staying in the UK for two weeks. They will be going out with UK teams on their first weekend and then attending the Street Pastors National Conference in London on the second weekend.
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Street Pastors
’s r o y a M r o f n Chose Charity
...the mayor blended in well with the Street Pastors.
Following a third successful year on the streets, Kingston Street Pastors has been selected as one of the Mayorʼs Charities. Mayor of Kingston, Ian McDonald, who went out on patrol recently with the Street Pastors, said, “It was wonderful to see how many young people were just coming up to the Street Pastors to thank them and tell them how well respected they are.” For the mayor, the evening provided valuable insight to the needs within our town centre at night. Clearly with such needs and the risk in a recession of the needs of the vulnerable and homeless increasing, the Mayoral Charity this year is very timely and needs support from all. In its three years of operation, Kingston Street Pastors have engaged with more than 10,000 people, collected more than 15,000 bottles, attended more than 400 incidents, given out more than 350 flip-flops and more than 150 space blankets, in addition to sleeping bags, clothes and shoes. “The streets have been quieter in recent times,” said Paul Jacobs, Kingston Street Pastors Coordinator. “This is partly due to the recession: fewer people are going out. We used to have three or four incidents
per night but now sometimes we have nothing. Although that makes things a bit boring, it is a good sign. It means thereʼs more peace on the streets and now we have more time to be more personal with the people we do meet.”
some extent before walking her to a taxi. “On many occasions, people come up to us and simply want a hug because they are upset. One young man came and thanked us because 16 months earlier we had helped him when CCTV had called us to an incident where a group had attacked him and stamped repeatedly on his face.”
On his night out, the mayor blended in well with the Street Pastors. As they stood talking with two young lads, the mayor Kingston MP, Ed Davey, said, “Kingston has a engaged the older one, who was unaware lively night-time economy and inevitably this that he was speaking can result in a variety of with the mayor. Later, problems—from young he was flabbergasted I am absolutely convinced people needing help when when he discovered that Street Pastors Kingston they are unwell having who his conversant was. drunk too much, to an are already making “Our conversations atmosphere that can be a difference... with people continue intimidating for some. to deepen,” Paul said, I am absolutely con“And people continue vinced that Street Pastors to reveal their hurts to us. Recently, we Kingston are already making a difference, got a call from a club. There was a young having attended their launch. I am convinced lady who was drunk and not very well clad. the evidence from other similar projects She was staggering and not focussing very bears that out too. They are an answer well. We put flip-flops on her feet and to our prayer in Kingston.” talked with her for some minutes. She told us that her mother had recently died. Then she started crying and told us, ʻIʼm just so lonely.ʼ We were able to comfort her to
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School Pastors Keeping Order Among Youth in Barking and Dagenham
I
tʼs a sunny Monday afternoon in Barking and Dagenham—the perfect day for
going out on observation with the School Pastors attached to the Joe Richardson Secondary School. While three of the seven School Pastors stay behind at the Castle Green Centre to run the mentoring scheme with seven year nine pupils whom the school selected to participate in the 10 week programme, I set off up the hill with the other four School Pastors. The School Pastors initiative in Barking and Dagenham is still new, just into its third week, and I can see the curiosity on the faces of the children as they amble along in groups after school. School Pastors Dianne, John and Sandra smile and greet them with cheery ʻhellosʼ. Two girls are pleasantly surprised and stop to engage somewhat shyly. “Weʼre your School Pastors and weʼll be working with your school, so youʼll be seeing us around now,” Dianne explains to them. Dianne Augustine coordinates both the School Pastors and the team of 30 Street Pastors in Barking and Dagenham. “If you have any problems,” she tells the girls, “you can talk with us because we are here to help.” The girls smile and nod. They are soon chatting away about their school and where theyʼre from. Before long, a few more girls gather around and join in. By the time the conversation is over, they are grinning broadly. They wave goodbye and skip off up the road. As we too continue, a boy shouts ʻhelloʼ and comes bounding over. He is happy to see the School Pastors out again. He gives them a rundown of his week since last Monday. His friends catch up with him and stop to listen.
“Will you be here next Monday?” the boy asks as he and his friends go into the corner shop to buy sweets.
“Yes, of course,” Dianne and the others assure him. He smiles and disappears. We walk all the way up to the train station, engaging with groups of children and some of the shopkeepers along the way. “Things have been okay today,” one shopkeeper tells Dianne. “But there were some new kids sitting on those boxes outside last week, banging on the window.” “Well, let us know if you have any more problems,” Dianne tells him. Along the way, we meet Paul (name changed) and his friend. Paul looks to be about 16. Behind his handsome, shy smile, as he tells the School Pastors about some of the educational and gang issues he faces, I can sense the problems that lurk everywhere to lure promising young men into trouble. Dianne encourages him to keep away from the gang and to make certain to attend his educational meeting later that week. I am surprised when she tells me he is only 14.
Nearby, Paulʼs friend leans against a railing in conversation with School Pastor, John. Originally from Scotland, John Hamilton came to London four years ago. He was once a school drop out and got back into education later in life. “I volunteer as a School Pastor because I want to connect with some of the kids and try to encourage them,” John said. “I want to let them know that itʼs sometimes good to stick at things even though they might not enjoy
them and hopefully point them in the right direction and give them hope because a lot of kids feel they donʼt have any hope. Iʼve been on that side of life. I know what itʼs like and I hope to be a good role model.” As the School Pastors work to help the young people of Barking and Dagenham, they are aware that the issues the youth face may be linked to other issues at home. According to the Safer Neighbourhood Team, youth disorder and burglary are the two biggest issues in the borough, followed by alcohol related domestic violence. “Our borough has the highest rate of domestic violence in Europe,” said School Pastor, Monica Wisker. “Thatʼs pretty scary and it makes you wonder what is happening in the homes of the kids we are working with.” To tackle the issues, the Street and School Pastors work in partnership with a host of organisations, including the Community Alcohol Team, Safer Neighbourhood Teams, the Local Police Strategic Partnership, and the Substance Misuse Engagement Team. Every Thursday, Street Pastors also operates Eaves Womenʼs Aid, a drop in centre, in conjunction with the Domestic Violence Unit to help women and their children who have suffered from domestic violence.
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“Weʼre hoping to take School Pastors into another school in September,” Dianne said. “Weʼre in a process of negotiation for that to happen. Weʼll be doing patrols and mentoring and the school has asked us whether we can lead assemblies on motivation, good role models and talk about young people who have had tough
times but have not let that affect them. They have even asked us to do an assembly on how our Christian faith has helped us to be good role models.” The afternoon progresses and the school children begin to thin out on the streets. We head back down the hill and run into 13-year-old Jane (name changed), who has
just come out of the mentoring programme. She stops and tells us what she learned that afternoon. Back at the Castle Green Centre, the other School Pastors are waiting for us to have a debriefing meeting. Everything has gone well. The team is encouraged. It is the end of another day in the life of a School Pastor.
Archbishop Sentamu For the Street Pastors Conference
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is to give the closing address at the Street Pastors conference this November. Speaking at a previous event on the issue of gang violence, Dr Sentamu said, “If we are to be serious in tackling the challenges presented by gangs, guns and knives we need to examine and support those initiatives that have succeeded and where faith has played a major role, rather than minimising the role of faith in transforming lives and communities.”
In the same address, Dr Sentamu challenged young people not simply to join a gang but to start their own. Highlighting Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as role models, he told the young people, “Each of these [men] knew that to change the world began not with what you can get for yourself, but how you can change the world for your brother or sister. Making the world a better place meant not joining a gang, but starting your own. Whether it be the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or the African National Congress, these men knew that the road ahead, strewn with more obstacles than we now face, was a road worth travelling. It meant arrest and detention, not for crimes against others, but for standing up for others. It meant a refusal to indulge in vengeance, even where the wrongdoing was so clear that the world chorused its condemnation, against the apartheid regimes of South Africa and the vicious racism of the Southern states. It meant an end to selfish pursuit in favour of a pursuit of justice. No crime, no vengeance, no selfishness. This is the path to the greater good of communities and individuals alike and a path that awaits you if you have the strength to take it. “Mahatma Ghandi famously said that ʻyou should be the change you want to see in the worldʼ. My message to young people is, be that change, be that catalyst of hope in your community. Stand up to criminality, denounce violence, turn your back on drugs and embrace generosity instead. Seize the best of life, glory in the goodness of it, and then live it before God and humanity alike.” CEO of Ascension Trust and founder of the Street Pastors initiative, Les Isaac, said, “We are privileged to have Dr Sentamu take time out of his hectic schedule to participate in the Street Pastors conference. He has been involved at the forefront of these issues and has been instrumental in challenging the Church and young people to bring about change through positive action.”
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“...we are expecting great things...”
SLOWLY
T
SURELY
hey may have been off to a slow start with a few hitches along the way, but Hastings Street Pastors are not about to let the dream die. With nine volunteers soldiering on for about a year to get the initiative up and running, they finally had their launch earlier this year in June and what a success it was.
Four new volunteers joined the team at the launch event and eight other potential volunteers took application forms away. Approximately 50 people attended the launch, including councillors, church leaders and the police. Ray Bell, coordinator of Orpington Street Pastors, delivered the main address. “I am thrilled that it has finally happened,” said Jacqui Cronin, who has been instrumental in the work so far. “In the early stages, our biggest problem was getting the required volunteer support as set out in the Street Pastors guidelines. With so many difficulties in getting the right level of support in place, I felt at that time as if the right response was to slow down in order to get it right. Speed is not the important thing. Eventually, we managed to get things in place and I was pleased when we signed the license agreement with Ascension Trust. “During the year that we worked at setting things in place for the initiative, weʼve had much support from the police—people like Chief Inspector Andy Gooch, who was already familiar with Street Pastors—and MPs like Michael Foster, who paid for the hire of the hall when we first introduced Street
Pastors to the churches in Hastings last year. And the churches that had already shown an interest have been fantastic. “Now that we have had the launch, many more people have become interested. More churches have been inviting us to come and speak with them, including those who we have been trying to get on board for months without success.
“Pathway Books, a local Christian bookshop, also donated £5,000 to us which means we should have enough money soon to employ a coordinator. We have more support than we realised we had. Itʼs all fantastic news!” During his address at the launch, Ray Bell said: “ Jesus used the metaphors of ʻsaltʼ and ʻlightʼ to depict the powerful impact the Church could make in society. And today churches all over the country are catching the vision for engaging and impacting their communities through the Street Pastors initiative. The growth of Street Pastors from 18 in April 2003 to some three and half thousand today is evidence that God is in this initiative.” Hastings is planning to have joint training sessions with Eastbourne starting in September.
Jacqui said, “Things are really beginning to happen now and we are expecting great things in the future.”
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Street
Pastors are helping to bring a positive image to Norwich and other areas in East Anglia. The Prince of Wales Road in the city used to be a dangerous place with a bad reputation but Street Pastors have been working with local police to transform the area. Former Street Pastors coordinator for Norwich, Val Dodsworth, said, “There is a much better atmosphere along that road now where a lot of the pubs and clubs are located.”
Street Pastors started operating in Norwich in March 2007 and patrols went out on Friday nights only. Val recalls that the police were wary at first about them going out. “They briefed us and said they would keep an eye on us if we needed support, but it wasnʼt long before they were asking when we would be going out on Saturday nights as well.
“We were very well received on the streets. Partygoers and doormen were happy to see us. The agencies that work with the homeless
were especially appreciative because we were able to give them information about people who were genuinely in need and sleeping rough. And recently we were awarded a Lord Mayorʼs Civic Award for voluntary work that benefits the community.” Val said that although much of the Street Pastors work in Norwich is very practical: giving out flip-flops to girls in stilettos with aching feet, helping people who have drunk too much and even mopping up sick, a Street Pastor never knows what he or she will come across. “There have been times when Street Pastors have met people who have come out to have their last drink and are determined to then jump into the river,” Val said. “They have spent time with individuals and have prevented a number of suicides. “But there has been some humour on the streets as well. There was the time when Bishop Malkhaz from Georgia, near Russia, visited and came out on patrol with us. Bishop Malkhaz has a long white beard down to his waist and he came out dressed in his long, flowing robes, so he didnʼt exactly blend in. We met a homeless couple who asked the Bishop to pray for them. Right there in the middle of the street, Bishop Malkhaz knelt down and held this couple, one by each
hand, and prayed for them in his native tongue. Itʼs a gesture, I am sure, they will never forget.” Deputy coordinator, Paul Rendell, who has taken over as coordinator since April this year, said, “We have a lot of quality people involved in the Norwich initiative. Itʼs been really positive and great to see the volunteers growing together as a team and the impact that involvement is having on their personal lives. One boss phoned to say that one of his employees was getting on much better at work since he got involved with Street Pastors and he wanted to know what was going on. “Street Pastors is a really great initiative. There are many people behind it enabling us to be out there among the people. Our presence has a huge impact on the people we interact with on the streets, especially when they ask which church are we from and we tell them we are from different churches. “They know we are non-judgmental. They know they can trust us. And they are so appreciative; often, a trivial act of kindness has a huge impact on them. ʻWow!ʼ they say. ʻSomebody really does care.ʼ”
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NS M
OTHING TOPS E
user was never a limiting factor for the mother of two. “I want to be as active and as normal as I can,” she said. “And thatʼs how I am with everything I do. When I go out as a Street Pastor some people look surprised to see me but the presence of the wheelchair often ends up as a talking point and serves as a great ice breaker.” Jane also takes her passion and can do attitude into her daytime job as a youth worker.She works with churched and non-churched young people 10 years and older, both on the streets and in youth clubs. “The kids are great,” she said. “They accept me for who I am and my being in a wheelchair is not a problem for them.” The Street Pastors initiative in Hinckley started in May 2008 and grew from an initial 14 Street Pastors to 23 in one year. They started by going out every Friday night but in addition they now also go out on two Saturday nights each month. “The response to our presence on the streets has been really positive,” Jane said. “People are saying itʼs great to see the Church doing something outside of the building. Itʼs changing the stereotypical image of what a churchgoer is. “We have also had an excellent response from the Police and the Council. Earlier this year, the town of Hinckley was awarded a local council and local policing unit Beacon award for managing what they call the night-time economy and Street Pastors were a part of that bid. Since we started last year, there has been a reduction in the crime rate here and this is partly attributable to our presence.
W
hen Jane Neale found herself at the age of 33 in a wheelchair after surgery to remove a growth from her spinal cord, she refused to allow herself to be defeated. Instead, she embraced life with passion and purpose and the firm declaration that, “Nothing stops me!”
Jane and young lads... She has a knack for communicating with young people; they accept her for who she is...
Four years on, Janeʼs enthusiasm for life sees her as a committed Street Pastor in Hinckley. She was involved with the initiative from the beginning when it was discussed at a Churches Together meeting in that town. Today, along with Capt Syd Henderson, Jane is co-coordinator of Hinckley Street Pastors. “When I heard about Street Pastors,” she said, “I thought what a great initiative for our town—I can do that!”Being a wheelchair
“Itʼs also been great to see the Church working ecumenically on this initiative. Some churches that have never worked together before are now working effectively with each other.”
Jane is thankful to the members of her Street Pastors team for their support. “They give me as much or as little support as I require,” she said. Jane is also thankful to her husband, Stephen Neale, and their two children, 11 year old, Georgina, and nine year old, Edward, for their love and support.
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“The kids are very protective of me,” Jane said. “They are sensible children and took it well when the operation left me in the wheelchair. Children are sometimes more adaptable in that way than adults.” Husband, Stephen, says that although he was initially apprehensive about her going out on the streets, he trusted the
at least eight more to join the team,” she said. “We are always open to support in prayers and from volunteers to increase the reach of this work.” Capt Syd Henderson, who co-coordinates Hinckley Street Pastors with Jane, said, “We treat her as any other Street Pastor. She gets the same training, does the same
Me & My Family... Jane and her family. Back: Husband, Stephen. Left: nine-year-old, Edward. Right: 11-year-old, Georgina..
people she was going out with and once the initiative was explained fully to him he became reassured that she would be okay and safe. “I am pleased that Jane is volunteering with the Street Pastors,” said Stephen, “because it is putting something back into the community.” Jane says she would love to see the Street Pastors out in Hinckley every Friday and Saturday night. “To do that we would need
rest of the team to do their job. It makes it easier for people to talk about things that are troubling them or holding them back in their lives. Jane helps people, perhaps, to see others who are worse off than they are and so they are more likely to talk about the things that they are worried about.”
“Sheʼs a shining example to all Christians of how God is not bound by our limitations,” added Les Isaac, Director of Ascension Trust and the Street Pastors Initiative. “All he requires is our availability and certainly if Jane can do it, then you can too.” “Before my operation I asked God to be with the surgeons and medical staff looking after me. I was never at any point angry with God. I felt his presence with me when I was in hospital and found visits by the hospital chaplaincy very supportive and comforting, as well as the prayers and visits of my friends and family. “During a Sunday morning service that I attended while I was in hospital we sang a very moving hymn, ʻMay the mind of Christ my Saviourʼ. The last verse was particularly meaningful to me. It says, ʻmay I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe, looking only unto Jesus, as I onward go.ʼ This made me realise that with Godʼs help I could face whatever confronted me in the following weeks and months. I took that with me then and still do today.”
nights out—in the wet, in the dry, in the snow. Sheʼs a helpful member of the team and it makes no difference that sheʼs in a wheelchair. In fact, it makes it easier for her, perhaps, to come across as a non-threatening person. Many of our Street Pastors are big burly blokes and while this does not necessarily put people off it can make it a bit harder to get to people. “Janeʼs smiling face, her openness about her faith and her care for people break down barriers and make it easier for the
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SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL HAVE VISIONS Jake Isaac (centre) and a growing band of young people hungry for personal and national change.
A
REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT of young people is getting ready to sweep across the UK with a series of social action tours in 2010. The initiative is unique in that it will focus on spirituality as the rationale for social action and change in the individual. Twenty-three year old, Jake Isaac, is leading the campaign which he conceptualised and has called i = CHANGE. It will be launched fully this December.
“i = CHANGE
is slowly becoming
a movement among young people in
different churches across London,” Jake
said. “The whole idea is to equip individuals to be agents of change in their communities and in the world in which they live.”
The i = CHANGE tour starts in 2010 and
the plan is to have an event bi-monthly in different parts of the country: Uxbridge, Leicester, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol
and London are all scheduled to be part of the programme. At each venue the
tour will take groups of young people to a location where they will be involved in
social action projects like cleaning cars
initiative. Pastor of Christian Life, Joseph
open-air barbecue at a local church and
and it is unique in that it uses spirituality
and garden maintenance. They will host an then end with a concert in the evening.
“My inspiration for i = CHANGE came from a personal challenge and conviction that
there has to be more to being a Christian
than Sunday morning services and bedside
devotions,” Jake said. “Revival in the nation starts with revival in the individual, so the individual has to be open to change and this is the aim of i = CHANGE—to give
young people opportunities to be change in different communities. The vision is to
see change expand through the Church to serve the local community.
“My father, Les, has also been an inspiration to me. His understanding of the importance of engaging and addressing anti-social
behaviour has been absolutely instrumental in my life. When I was growing up, he was
one of the very few church ministers who would say when he was called to speak,
ʻThere are sons and daughters out there doing foolishness while we are having
Boadu, said, “i = CHANGE is a fresh initiative to impact young people for change that is then applied in how they affect their
community. It is a catalyst that can be used to take them to where they want
to be, at the heart of the community, to
effect change. Jake is one of a number of emerging young leaders who are helping to make the Church even more relevant
and practical in engaging communities and like him, there are many young people
who want to make their faith more relevant and accessible. They are willing to take the risks to do this and it is encouraging and exciting to see what they are doing.”
Earlier this year, i = CHANGE recorded
a live album of the same title, with the
involvement of nearly 600 young people.
The album will also be launched in December. For further information or to get involved, email Jake at i_equals_change@live.co.uk or to listen to music from the i = CHANGE album, visit Jakeʼs myspace page at www.myspace.com/iequalschange.
church—what are we going to do about it?ʼ That attitude has always kept me focussed as a young man and it has also challenged
me to have a heart for those out there who are struggling and have gone astray.”
Jake is working in conjunction with Christian
Life Fellowship that oversees the i = CHANGE
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E H T D REA Y R O T HIS
and be inspired !
W
ork is being finalised on a book documenting the history of the Street Pastors initiative. Kingsway is publishing the book, which is simply titled, ʻStreet Pastorsʼ.
As well as the general public, it is hoped that the book will be of interest to the police, local authorities and other government officials and current and prospective Street Pastors. Among other topics, it deals with the birth of the initiative, its core values, the challenges of partnership working and the growth of Street Pastors across different communities and contexts. Central to the work are the authentic and inspirational voices of Street Pastors across the country. The book also contains contributions from police officers, politicians and Street Pastors co-founder, Revd David Shosanya. Written by Les Isaac and Rosalind Davies, the book contains a foreword by Ram Gidoomal (CBE) and MP
David Burrowes. A writer and editor, Rosalind said, “Itʼs been a wonderful opportunity to be involved in this way with such a fantastic initiative that has come to the Christian fore. Writing the book has been hard but exciting work.” Rosalind originally met Les when she joined the church in South London that he was leading. She has worked with Ascension Trust on a number of publications and designed and produced the Street Pastors Training Manual and Handbook. During the writing of the book, stories from the street have been collected, which it is hoped will become an archive that all Street Pastors will contribute to over the years.
Street Pastors can email their stories to history@streetpastors.org.uk.
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STREET PASTORS CARING LISTENING HELPING Established in 1993, Ascension Trust desires to see Christians working effectively with their local churches, community and society.
For more information on the Street Pastors Training Course, please contact Ascension Trust: info@ascensiontrust.org.uk Registered charity number 1039580 / PO Box 3916, London, SE19 1QE / Tel. 020 7771 9770
www.streetpastors.org.uk
Design by: emajeen@ymail.com
is an interdenominational church response to the problems of urban society