#FaithAndPoliceTogether Conference – update by Project Lead – Marie Reavey:
19th June saw the #FaithAndPoliceTogether conference take place at the College of Policing. The day was a great success and challenged delegates to consider how they engage with their local faith communities. 91 delegates attended from across the country with a wide range of ranks and roles within policing represented. The aim of the day was to encourage police to routinely engage with the faith communities, not just when emergency disaster relief situations occur; and to help broaden thinking about the potential for faith communities to contribute towards social cohesion. The conference Highlighted the power and potential social capital within Faith communities in helping to reduce policing demand through prevention, intervention and problem solving. The conference was opened by CPA President Deputy Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Paul Netherton, who urged everyone not to be afraid of political correctness and to seek out faith communities to help policing priorities. Paul also reminded delegates about the power of a cup of tea and a biscuit! Paul was followed by DCC Nav Malik who shared his experiences as a Muslim officer and encouraged those of faith to go to their places of worship in uniform. He also reminded us of the opportunities for engagement and how this helps to build legitimacy. Some of the challenges, including intrafaith division were also discussed. We had some inspirational speakers giving a flavour of some of what our faith communities can do to assist the police. Debra Green OBE from Redeeming Our Communities talked about the impact of mentoring, youth clubs, and befriending schemes, Rev Clyde Thomas shared his story of how the church had supported him when he came out of prison and had nowhere else to go and helped him from a life of homelessness, addiction and crime to Director of Hope Centre Ministries UK and senior pastor at Victory Church, Cwmbran who run a Hope Centre and Phase 3 Supported housing and are one of many faith based organisations tackling addiction. He reminded us all that there is hope for everyone and that we must never underestimate the power of story. Ben Lindsay founder of Power the Fight, a charity that is equipping and empowering communities to tackle Serious Youth Violence, talked about some of the positive and significant ways our faith communities can make a real difference in tacking serious youth violence in our nation. Melissa Llewellyn and Rehana Faisal from Faiths Against Child Sexual Exploitation (FACES) gave an insight in how Muslim and Christian leaders in Luton have come together to equip faith communities across the country to tackle CSE. Delegates were asked to utilise their faith based staff support networks to help engage their faith communities but not to rely on them to be the only contact. Everyone was urged to attend a prayer meeting if invited and to build effective relationships. #FaithAndPoliceTogether will work if each person who attended the conference takes it back to their local Force area and looks to implement it. We are really hoping and praying that this does happen. CNI Network's July Newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/11dcadfb04a1/july-update-from-cni-network-and-invitation-to-our-agm Source
Angels who are taking to the streets of Newquay to keep party-goers safe, Pirans Angels will be taking to the streets to help the drunk and vulnerable from Friday A team of volunteers who will be taking to the streets of Newquay to help drunk and vulnerable people will free up valuable police resources to tackle major crime. Wednesday (June 12) saw the launch event of Pirans Angels, a group who will meet with people on the streets, at festivals, on beaches or at recreational areas offering help and assistance where they can. Pirans Angels are birthed out of the Newquay Street Pastors who wound down in February this year and will be armed with flip-flops, space blankets, basic first aid, bottles of water and lollipops to help keep party-goers safe. Pirans Angels held a ‘soft launch’ at Tunes in the Dunes and will be out and about on the streets of Newquay from Friday (June 14). Founder Debbie Anderson-Jones said: “The street pastors were part of a national initiative whereas we are more local. Our t-shirts and literature are all printed in Newquay. “Our team were all street pastors and we are an independent body and here to serve the community.” Attending the launch event at New Creation Church was police inspector Dave Meredith who said that organisations such as Pirans Angels provide vital assistance for the police. He said: “We stand shoulder to shoulder, we support them and they support us and we work for the common good of looking after vulnerable people. “It’s great for us and the volunteers work as a support service. If they are on hand to look after a person who is drunk and unconscious it frees up police resources to deal with other ongoing demands such as assaults and drink drivers.” Although Pirans Angels have volunteers from a number of different churches around the Newquay area, Debbie and her team are keen to stress that they are always on the lookout for new volunteers, whether religious people or not. Pirans Angels currently has 10 volunteers but anybody aged over 18 who wants to get involved can contact Debbie on 07486563420. Also involved is Debbie’s husband Simon. He said: “Some people come here and get so drunk and we don’t want them to become a statistic. We don’t judge people and are there to help people, both tourists and locals, to get home or to their hotel safe. “We’re in the heart of the community and aren’t here to criticise anyone, only help.” Pirans Angels are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Halton Church of Christ, Ridgeway, Pennsylvania:
Faith Life Fellowship, Wilmington NC - sermon audio (Love the one in front of you)
Hope International Ministries church in Bradenton, Florida (at 33 minutes):
Extraordinary Oldham youngster (and Street Angels fundraiser) receives British Citizen Youth Award6/27/2019
Source
Brave Ibrahim Yousaf has been presented with a British Citizen Youth Award after being nominated earlier this year. Due to his ill health, Ibrahim has been presented with his Medal, before the event at Parliament in October, at his school, The Hathershaw College. Presenting Ibrahim with his prestigious honour was The Mayor of Oldham, also present was Mr McEntee, Ibrahim’s headteacher and Reece Ryan BCAc, Head of Ambassador Programme at the BCyA. The young man from Oldham, Greater Manchester has been recognised for his tireless efforts to raise money for good causes, despite facing many health issues of his own. Ibrahim has been selected to receive one of only 30 BCyA medals this year in recognition of his fundraising and awareness campaigns. Ibrahim, aged 13, has suffered from health issues from a very young age and in the last year, his condition has become even more challenging. He is on daily medication and under the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for his ongoing treatment. Despite this, Ibrahim has been trying to live a normal life and has been selflessly helping others by taking part in various fundraising events. For nearly 12 months, Ibrahim has been helping 10 charities within his local community. He used social media and donated all his free time to help charities such as RMCH, Maggie’s, Dr Kershaw’s Oldham Foodbank, Oldham Street Angels and Spoons. Not just content with raising awareness, Ibrahim has raised over £4,000 to help these charities. Ibrahim’s proud mum said, “We are so proud of Ibrahim, it is a wonderful honour to see his fundraising recognised in this way, we are grateful to BCyA for breaking with tradition and allowing a medal to be presented outside of the Palace of Westminster. Ibrahim is not well enough to travel very far, so this is really a special day for him”. The British Citizen Youth Award in association with Specsavers recognises the extraordinary contributions made by young people to society, charities and communities. Specsavers sponsored the inaugural British Citizen Youth Award in 2016 and is proud to continue to help champion amazing young role models. Dame Mary, Co-Founder of Specsavers and Patron of the British Citizen Youth Award, says, “Ibrahim’s story is so inspiring; his dedication to raising money for charity while facing significant challenges of his own makes him a very worthy recipient of this award and a fantastic role model for his peers.” Nominations for this year’s British Citizen Youth Award are now open for all children who will be under the age of 18 in October 2019. Those selected will be invited to receive their medal at a presentation being held at the Palace of Westminster this October. Young holidaymakers in Mallorca urged to ‘stick with your mates’ and have a holiday to rememberBy6/27/2019
Source
The British Embassy Madrid and British Consulate in Palma have launched a new campaign encouraging young British holidaymakers to “Stick with your Mates”, as part of an FCO global campaign on youth safety. The communications campaign is part of a wider effort to work with local authorities, charities like Street Angels and 24/7, and influencers to encourage young tourists to look out for each other. Building on previous campaigns aimed at young tourists, in particular those visiting popular resorts such as Magaluf and San Antonio, the campaign focuses on how looking after each other and staying with your friends can help young people avoid accidents and serious injuries on holiday. Research carried out last year shows that the vast majority of fatal incidents and hospitalisations happen when people are on their own, having been separated from their friends. Advice includes:
The content features short videos and digital images that will be targeted at young people visiting the islands through Instagram and Facebook. Partners are encouraged to share the content at (facebook.com/stickwithyourmates and @travelaware) and use the hashtag. Since the launch last week, one of the videos has already been viewed more than 257,000 times on Facebook and over 143,000 times on Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/stickwithyourmates/videos/337511846928283/ Consul General Lloyd Milen said: “The Balearics are a great destination where young people can have a fantastic holiday. The objective of the campaign, following several fatal balcony falls in the Balearics last summer and, sadly, one already this year, is focused on trying to prevent such accidents happening again and to reduce the number of hospitalisations. Our campaign is about providing some simple tips and advice to make sure everyone visiting the islands has a holiday to remember, rather than one they will want to forget.” Georgia Hague, who features in some of the videos and who has her own campaign “Don’t Leave a Friend Behind” on the island of Mallorca, has a very personal reason for supporting Stick with your Mates after losing a friend who fell from a building in Magaluf. Georgia said: “You can’t stop people drinking, but you can stop a friend making a bad decision. I see people in all sorts of trouble every night – lost on the strip, having drunk too much – which could have been avoided if they’d just stuck with their mates.” The Vice-President and Councillor for Innovation, Research and Tourism for the Government of the Balearics, Bel Busquets, welcomed the campaign initiated by the Consulate: “From the Government of the Balearic Islands, we want our visitors to have a good time on the islands and that they can return home safe and sound, and with good memories to share with family and friends. For that to happen, we have to work together. Source (with video and images)
Hull’s Street Angels have taken it one step further in their mission to keep Hull safe on the weekend. Once again proving that all heroes don’t wear capes, the group of volunteers, who are usually donned in fluorescent clothing and can be seen carrying an array of flip flops, have purchased their very own bus with enough facilities to take care of those in need on a Friday and Saturday night. The team, made up of over 20 volunteers, are on the streets every weekend helping those who are worse for wear and in need of a helping hand, as well as alleviating pressure on our already strained emergency services. Gaynor Bonner, a volunteer with the group, said the idea for the bus – which is equipped with benches, first aid kits, bowls, flip flops, hot water and tea and coffee – came when they visited Blackpool and the Street Angels there. The teams swapped ideas and Hull’s then went and bought the former Social Services bus and put their own stamp on it. Gaynor said: “The bus is a safer and quieter area and is a calm zone. We get people who need help, some who have mental health issues, and other vulnerable people, people with minor injuries. “With the bus, people can see where we are. We have bottles of water, bowls and we can have a sit down with them and make them a cup of tea.” The Street Angels have been fundraising with backpacking and tombola to afford the bus, and Gaynor says people can also give small donations for the flip flops. She said: “We buy those and the bowls and everything from our own pockets and people give donations too.” The group work every Friday and Saturday, as well as Bank Holiday Sundays and are hoping to get more volunteers so they can have two pairs out on the street, and a pair on the bus. Gaynor said: “Anyone who wants to join can do so and can even come and do a shadow shift with us.” As well as the bus, the group are active on social media and have been giving out cards for people in case they are in need of help. Gaynor said: “We have cards that we have given to taxi drivers and have gone to Sixth Forms and given them out there. The cards have our number on it so if anyone needs us we can help, say if someone is being harassed or if they’ve lost their friends we can go and find and help them – even if they are on a toilet floor somewhere.” Gaynor said the group also have a rapport with emergency services and door staff at Hull’s pubs and clubs. She said: “Because we give out shoes to save the girl’s feet it means they’re not suffering with the minor injuries they have from walking about on glass which is sometimes outside. "A lot of us are nurses or ex-nurses so are able to provide first aid, and then we have first aid training and also conflict resolution training which is all offered when you volunteer. “A lot of people see people in these situations and immediately call 999 when we can help and we can take people to the bus, take care of them and they can call someone if they need to and we make sure they are safe. “We have a good rapport with the police and ambulance service and the door staff. The Street Angels I think started out in New York and the subway and started in Britain in either Halifax or Huddersfield. We started under a year ago and the things we’ve achieved so far are amazing. “We are looking for more volunteers and encourage people to come and do a shadow shift with us.” You can get in touch with the group on their Facebook and Twitter page. You can also visit their website here. To call them, their number is 07494420622. The Festival Angels teams have had a busy start to the festival season with teams at:
Big Church Day Out (South Downs) Tunes in the Dunes (Cornwall) Radio 1's Big Weekend (Middlesbrough) Wildfires (South Downs) Take That (Middlesbrough) The teams, working alongside local street teams, were on hand to offer welfare and support to the tens of thousands of people at these various events. Below are images from the various teams: CNI Network has been chatting with this young lady today about a possible film about our work - she sent us this as an example of her work in the past - this is a powerful, moving and personal story and something that is essential viewing for all those working with homeless people and may give a background story to why they have ended up homeless... Once again Angels will be a feature at Cornwall's biggest music festival.
Boardmasters, which runs from 7th - 11th August in Newquay's Watergate Bay, will have teams of Christian Festival Angels offering support and advice to the 50,000 festival goers. In their third year at Boardmasters Festival Angels will be on patrol in fluorescent yellow tabards and distinctive Festival Angels t-shirts. They will offer help and support across the festival site including putting up tents, helping people navigate the site, signposting people to other support services and offering a friendly and welcoming presence. The team's hub will also include the trendy 'Jesus Loves Festivals' banner and Gospels which is a great conversation starter and photo opportunity and ties in with the 'Jesus calls will you follow' banner plane flypast that will pass over Boardmasters. Paul Blakey MBE, one of the Boardmasters Festival Angels coordinators and CEO of CNI Network who oversee this work, comments, "Boardmasters is a fantastic event for tens of thousands of young people. Our teams work with the organisers and welfare teams to keep festivalgoers safe and help them make the most of the festival. Boardmasters in its stunning location with amazing sunsets is a great event and one at which it is easy to see why Jesus Loves Festivals and Cornwall!" Bishop of St Germans Rt Revd Chris Goldsmith says, "Jesus himself had a reputation for enjoying celebrations and the company of others. He regularly put himself where others could find him and that’s why we can say with confidence, Jesus loves festivals! Part of our distinct calling as church in Cornwall is to offer welcome and hospitality in the name of Jesus. We are delighted to welcome everyone at Boardmasters and the Christian Festival Angels from around the country to give us the opportunity to put that into practice. Please pray that the love, kindness and wisdom of Jesus will be evident at this year’s festival." Boardmasters says, "We are delighted to welcome Festival Angels back to Boardmasters for their third year, and look forward to working with them and their volunteers this Summer". For more information visit www.boardmastersfestivalangels.org.uk |
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ROC Angels - an initiative of ROC (Redeeming Our Communities)
Charity - 1139817 / Registered Company - 7327258 Postal Address: ROC Angels, c/o The King's Centre, Park Rd, Halifax, HX1 2TS E-Mail: [email protected] (founder / CEO) / Phone: 07725501465 |