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Street angels heading to Sunderland
A legion of street angels is heading for Sunderland city centre to help late-night revellers.
Street pastors will be on patrol to assist those who have had too much to drink or are left feeling vulnerable.
They will be able to offer:
- First aid to those who have fallen over or been involved in fights;
- Water to party-goers who have had too much to drink;
- Support and guidance to people unable to look after themselves properly;
- Flip-flops to young women with sore feet from their high heels.
The Rev Martin Anderson, of Sunderland Minster, who is one of the trustees of the Sunderland Street Pastors charity, said: "Volunteers will go out on Friday and Saturday nights to help make sure everyone has a positive night.
"They are not there to convert people or preach. They are there to be a presence of goodwill and Christian love."
Any Christian church member aged over 18 can apply to be a pastor.
Volunteers from 25 city congregations have already signed up.
Participants undergo a three-month training programme, working closely with police and paramedics, before being issued with the high-visibility uniform and hitting the streets.
Sunderland Street Pastors will be officially launched on March 23. It hopes to be helping people in the city centre, handing out bottles of water and space blankets, by June.
There are now more than 100 towns and cities in the UK with street pastors, including Newcastle, which has more than 40 regular volunteers.
Sunderland pensioner Doreen Moakes, 71, has been a street pastor on Tyneside for more than a year and loves it.
She said: "When I heard about it I knew it was something I really wanted to do.
"As a Christian I believe we have a duty and I believe that the church should be on the streets engaging with people.
"People who are out on the streets in the early hours are vulnerable. They get so drunk they don't know where they are or where they are going."
Doreen works one Friday a month from 10pm to 4am offering a friendly face, first aid, help and advice and a shoulder to cry on.
She said: "We do a lot of listening. It's amazing how much people need someone to listen to them. Of course, that could be the drink talking."
Doreen said the crew, who have walkie-talkies connecting them to the police and Pub Watch staff, are often left to mop up the blood after a fight.
But she said pastors never feel scared because they have always been accepted and no one is ever aggressive or abusive towards them.
Doreen said the pastors often get their photo taken by people out partying and they even get hugs and kisses from revellers who appreciate them being there.
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Weather for Sunderland
Thursday 23 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 26 mph
Wind direction: West
