Over fifty people representing various local projects across the Midlands gathered for a day conference in Bedford. The day included a keynote talk by the Bishop of St Alban's and thank you's from the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Mr Vinod Tailor DL and local police. Paul Blakey hosted the day which included a mix of sharing news, talking about issues and problems and hearing about initiatives such as Festival Angels and Chaplaincy. The local projects at the event were: Bedford Street Angels, Hitchin Street Angels, Lichfield Late Night Listeners, Norwich Street Presence, Aylesbury Street Angels and Town Centre Chaplaincy, Northampton Street and School Pastors, Hemel Hempstead Street Pastors, Kingstock Festival and Bister Street Pastors.
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BE KIND What is the Lent Challenge 2018? Ideas for 40 days of acts of kindness and charitable donations You may be thinking about giving up chocolate or booze (or both!) but did you know there's also a Lent Challenge? LENT is fast approaching and while many of us will looking forward to our pre-Lent pancakes and sweet fillings, the start of Lent can be a marker for much more. You may be thinking about giving up treats like chocolate, booze or sweets – but did you know there's also a Lent Challenge? Here is the lowdown. What is the Lent Challenge? While most people associate Lent with fasting or abstaining from certain treats, others believe that giving up something can help to purify their bodies. Other ways to recognise lent include donating money to a good cause, donating to a charity or volunteering. This year, the Christian Nightlife Initiatives Network is once again promoting the #Do1NiceThing challenge - which they say is about loving the person in front of you as well as serving the wider community to make life better for the people around us - and yourself in the process. What is Lent and how long does it last? Lent is a 40-day fast, so will run up until the Thursday before Easter Sunday, March 29, which is known as Holy Thursday. It originated as a mirroring of Jesus Christ's 40 days fasting in the desert, where, according to the gospels, he endured temptation by Satan. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the practice actually begins 46 days before Easter Sunday – the six Sundays in between are not counted, as they are not days of fast. People follow Jesus’ example and give up vices in a bid to grow closer to God as Easter approaches. Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day occurs the day before Lent begins, symbolising when Christians would eat up foods such as milk and eggs before fasting. What can I do for the 40 days of acts of kindness and reflection? According to Loveyourstreets.org.uk, there are numerous things people can do as part of the challenge. They even have a downloadable list of set things people can use as a guide - the ideas are generally very simple and require not much thought or pre-planning and can easily be swapped for something else. Ideas for the 40 days: Valentine's Day February 14 - Engage in conversation with the people who serve you (e.g. shopkeepers February 15 - Say thank you to someone as they work and say how much you appreciate them February 16 - Call in on an elderly neighbour - take some cake, have a cup of tea and a chat February 17 - Shop locally and support local farmers, local veg growers and local shops February 18 - Show some love to your neighbourhood and pick up litter or see if there is anything more you can recycle at home February 19 - Hold doors open for those behind you February 20 - Smile at people February 21 - Be a nice driver - spread road-calm! February 22 - Email / write to a local charity you think does a great work and thank them and those who volunteer February 23 - Take time to pray for your neighbours February 24 - Spread the niceness on Facebook and Twitter - compliment some of your friends February 25 - Set up a Blessing Bag - a bag of items you keep in your car that can be used to bless other people or a Blessing Box outside your church building - place in it a few items that will bless others February 26 - Write a letter (or use social media) to a local emergency service and thank them for the work they do February 27 - Say hello to people February 28 - Look at joining or setting up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme March 1 - Spot ways of helping people and do it March 2 - Go on a thankful walk - see all the positive things you can be thankful for in your neighbourhood March 3 - Buy Fairtrade where you can today March 4 - Take a single person (elderly person, single mum...) out for Sunday lunch March 5 - Consider investing some time volunteering - could you give 24 hours over the next year? March 6 - Commit to collect used stamps for The Leprosy Mission or other charity March 7 - Catch a bus and say thank you to the bus driver March 8 - Give a drink to a homeless person or take part in “Suspended Coffee” March 9 - Email / write to your MP and say thank you for representing you and that you are praying for them March 10 - Take a prayer walk around your neighbourhood and pray for needs Mothering Sunday, March 11 - Take some flowers to mothers and grandmas on your street March 12 - Buy seeds ready to create a wildlife garden (or tub or window box!) March 13 - Look for ways to volunteer one hour of your time for someone else March 14 - E-Mail your local councillors and say thank you for what they do and offer to pray for them March 15 - Take time to discover some new tourist attraction in your area (eg wildlife park, play area, etc) March 16 - Give away a book you think is worth reading March 17 - Pay for the drink of the person behind you in a coffee shop March 18 - Write some inspirational messages on Post-It notes and randomly leave for people to find March 19 - Help someone down the stairs or hold open a door for someone with a pram March 20 - Look out for a stranger you can chat to March 21 - Offer your skills to someone else for free March 22 - Write a letter to the boss of someone who has given excellent customer service to tell them so March 23 - Clear out unwanted items and give to a charity shop March 24 - Organise a free car wash for your community Palm Sunday, March 25 - Thank people for the virtues they have March 26 - Send flowers to a friend as a thank you for your friendship March 27 - Give a New Testament or inspirational book to someone you don't know March 28 - Take a box of chocolates to work and say thank you to your colleagues Maundy Thursday, March 29 - Serve someone Good Friday, March 30 - Put spare change in a charity box March 31 - Visit a local shop you have not visited before or in a while (support locally!) Easter Sunday, April 1 - Get together with others to organise a community or church Easter Egg hunt Source
Following on from our blog about Safe Spaces and the services they provide, we are continuing our series on vulnerability and the different options to help you manage this in the evening and night-time economy (ENTE). This time, it’s the turn of Street Pastors and Street Angels. This is one of our favourite solutions to enhancing safeguarding in the ENTE, as it brings so many benefits and is excellent value for money. What are Street Pastors and Street Angels? Both Street Pastors and Street Angels are Christian voluntary groups. They rely on volunteers mainly, but not solely, from faith communities to work alongside emergency services on a Friday and Saturday night during set hours, usually between 10pm to 4am. Volunteers go through over 30 hours of training in subjects such as roles and responsibilities, alcohol, drugs, mental health, homelessness, weapons, vulnerability management, counselling and listening and first aid before they are released on the street. Most groups ensure their volunteers are DBS checked and work closely with partners to share anonymised data that helps to build a wider picture of what is happening in the night-time economy. They reduce vulnerability by giving first aid to those who need it, preventing A&E attendances, caring for people who are intoxicated until they are sober enough to return home, ensuring that they get home safely, giving brief interventions on drugs, alcohol, sexual health and making sure that those they care for don’t become victims of crime. They also give out supplies like lollipops to reduce noise, flip flops to prevent girls cutting their feet on glass, water to keep people hydrated, pee pouches to stop on-street urination and spikeys to prevent people’s drinks being spiked. What impact do they have? There are approximately 450 teams of volunteer Street Pastors, Street Angels and other groups in towns and cities across the UK. On an average Friday and Saturday night in the UK it is estimated that each group helps about 15 people get home safely in a variety of ways. According to NHS Digital it costs an average of £4,296 to treat an intoxicated person in hospital. Based on data from a core selection of these groups working in large city centres, on average they prevent 80% of those they help from needing A&E, paramedics or police. However, without looking at every incident dealt with, it is hard to determine an exact figure of their worth. Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership did some basic analysis in 2015 that indicated that every £1 invested in Street Pastors saved an average of £121.50 on emergency services. Their value also lies in the additional uniformed presence on the streets and perhaps one of the most useful, yet underrated services is the volunteers’ ability to set a happy, peaceful and warm tone to nights out. We have seen them calm down fights equipped with just a smile, a hug and a lollipop. In most cities those who use the city’s nightlife love them. Comments such as “we love you”, “you helped my friend” or “you are amazing” fill the air as they walk the streets. This positive tone setting is vitally important and highly undervalued. Would you like some help setting up or growing a Street Pastors scheme in your town or city? We’d love to help. Get in touch on [email protected] or [email protected]. Source
A minute silence for a founder member started off the first meeting of the year for the Soroptimist group. The group of women remembered friend Pamela Robotham, 89, who died on the January 11. She was a founder member of the club, which started in 1961, and was made a life member in 2008 for her 80th Birthday. The first meeting of the year was chaired by Pamela Bailey at Fredrick’s Hotel in Shoppenhangers Road. The group heard from PCSO Dave Bullock who gave a ‘moving and informative’ talk about the Windsor Street Angels. Jean Tyler from the group said: “He told members about the valuable work carried out by the volunteers on a Friday and Saturday night on the streets of the royal town.” Source
A service to support vulnerable adults who may be facing loneliness, isolation, illness, disabilities or other difficulties was officially launched on Wednesday this week (January 17). Called Community Angels, it is being run by the Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy that already runs the successful Street Angels project, in which volunteers provide a calming presence late at night in and around the town centre bars. Now, trained volunteers with Community Angels will commit to regular visits to people who live in the town centre and close surrounding wards providing companionship and encouraging those they help to reconnect with their local communities. At the launch, held at St Saviour’s Church, town centre chaplain Rod Boreham said that the percentage of people over the age of 65 in Guildford is growing and that there is concern that those who are isolated or lonely are “slipping through the net” when it comes to providing them with help and support. Rachel Guilford is co-ordinating the Community Angels project. At the launch she said that it has been estimated that there are around 1,500 older people in Guildford who are lonely and at times have a lack of contact with society. There are many reason why and Rachel outlined these that include: having mental health issues, being bereaved, breakdowns in family relationships, feeling trapped in their homes and life becoming a cycle that is hard to break. Some are disabled or have dementia. Even carers for those in need can feel lonely themselves due to the pressure of their day-to-day living. She added that this can then have a negative impact on a person’s health leading to depression, anxiety and symptoms such as high blood pressure. Volunteer Community Angels can help people in those situations and in turn reduce the strain on statuary services. Rachel said that simply listening to people who are lonely is a key thing, along with befriending them, and reconnecting them with others people in their communities. In turn, this helps to empower people to make positive changes in their lives themselves. She also noted that it has been encouraging to hear that the Government is appointing a minister for loneliness, a post created following a report on loneliness made by the now late Jo Cox MP. The Guildford Community Angels project has just begun, and there are already five volunteers who have been trained and are ready to go out and help people. More are needed to begin this vital work. Rachel Guilford is experienced in this type of project. She previously co-ordinated Neighbourhood Angels, a similar scheme that was run by the Diocese of Guildford’s Community Engagement Team until its funding ran out. If you would like more information about Guildford Community Angels call 07825 799309. Referrals of people who may benefit from the service are also welcome. Call the number above. You can also make contract be email at [email protected] More details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ComAngelsGFD/ Twitter: @ComAngelsGFD The project has received some funding, but more is needed. There will be fundraising quiz night on Saturday, January 24, at 7pm, being held at Christ Church in Waterden Road. Teams of six to eight people can be entered. To book call 01483 301927, or call Fiona Ford at the Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy on 07717 876853. Source
Volunteers have thanked a kind-hearted taxi driver who came to their aid on Mad Friday. Haven Saints, which is made up of volunteers from different churches, were out on the streets on Friday to provide a helping hand to revellers. But, they themselves were helped by a taxi driver who drove them across town, free of charge, to help someone in need. Jackie Harkison, one of the volunteers, said: "We want to say a big thank you to the taxi driver who gave three of us a lift to the Roc bar from the market so we could help someone we had been called to help. Mad Friday is usually the last Friday for Christmas where people go out to the pubs and club to enjoy the festivities. Jackie said: "The night was busy and thanks should also go to the ambulance service and the first response vehicle who came to a number of people during the night." The Haven Saints team, dressed in orange and navy reflective jackets, provide essential items such as bottled water and first aid supplies to people. Jackie has previously said the team aims to make sure people enjoy themselves and stay safe. "It's a practical way of showing God's love," she added. Source
THEY have been keeping people safe on nights out in Bolton for the best part of a decade but Street Angels have now patrolled the streets for the last time. Bolton Street Angels have been helping revellers in need since 2008 but a lack of volunteers meant that they have made their last patrol this month. At its peak, the group had a pool of 30 volunteers willing to go out on Friday and Saturday nights but by the end there were just 11 people willing to pull on the yellow jackets.. Over the past nine years, they have helped look after people who have had too much to drink, been separated from their friends or were in distress for various reasons. The final Friday on December 15 was quiet for the team but there were still people who needed help getting home. Jacqui Griffiths, secretary of Bolton Street Angels, has been involved since the beginning. Talking about the last night on patrol, she said: “Surprisingly it was a bit of a damp squib. “A few people expected it to be dead busy but the security staff and bar staff said it was quiet. “We had one or two things to deal with but nothing massive. There were a couple of people who had too much to drink so we were there to sober them up and get them in a taxi. "It wasn’t as busy at is has been in other years. There were six of us out.” While that was the last night on patrol for the team they did go back out the following evening to give boxes of chocolates to the door staff of all venues in town as a thank you for their support over the years. They were also gave out socks and gloves to the homeless people in the town. The group was originally based in Bradshawgate but had to move to Churchgate and then Bank Street Chapel in 2014. This meant their base as not so central to the pubs and clubs and gave the group less of a presence, leading to fewer people volunteering. Mrs Griffiths said that, at the beginning, people would come in wanting to volunteer. While their last night on the streets was quiet, the previous weekend saw volunteers help get one woman to hospital. Mrs Griffiths said: “The previous week we dealt with a broken ankle. A woman who had walked across the road in heels and fell and broke her ankle. “We supported the ankle for her and advised her friends that it was best to get a taxi. "There was no point waiting for an ambulance so we sent them on their way to A&E. “That does happen from time to time.” Over the years it is estimated that volunteers removed about 15,000 bottles and glasses from the street to prevent injuries, helped 1,500 people who were vulnerable in some way, gave out 800 bottles of water and 700 pairs of flip flops. After so long volunteering it was an emotional night for Mrs Griffiths. She said: “I felt it because I have been doing it for nine years now. “I think the police and ambulance service will be called a lot more because there is no Street Angels. “A lot of the bar staff and security were saying they are going to be sad to see us go. They are going to have to cope on their own.” The organisers have thanked Bank Street Chapel, Christians Together in Bolton, Pubwatch, Town Centre Chaplaincy, Bolton Methodist Mission, Rotary Club, Soroptimists, Christian Night Time Initiatives, Greater Manchester Police and the Salvation Army for their support over the years. Well done to five Redcar Beacons Boxing Day Dippers! The five, including Redcar Beacon volunteers Anne Connelly, Leigh-Anne Challinor & Collette Clements and friends Siobhan Davies and Helen Wright braved the North Sea to raise funds for Redcar Beacons & CNI Network. Thank you to them all for taking part!
Sponsor on-line - visit https://make-a-donation.org/campaign/redcar-beacons-boxing-day-dip Sponsor via text - text DIPS26 £amount to 70070 to sponsor (eg £1, £5, £10)
Volunteer Stuart Robertshaw, 52, said: “That was the worst injury I have seen in six years.
“She was in pain but very inebriated so that acted as a bit of an anaesthetic.” The week before – the first of 2017’s two Mad Fridays – the team helped a man who’d cut his head open in a fall. Volunteer Lee Jackson, 47, said: “He hit his head on the kerb and there was blood pouring out of a gash near his right eye.” The teams are alerted to cases via their radios, linked to West Yorkshire Police, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, club bouncers and city centre CCTV hub Leeds Watch. Lee, who works as a motivational speaker, said: “The bouncers have to stay on the door. The ambulance could be 20 minutes. "We’re the stopgap in the middle where we can save someone’s life.” There are over 130 Street Angels projects in the UK. The group, part of the Christian Nightlife Initiative, also runs schemes in Spain and the Seychelles, and is soon to launch in the US. Violent Founded by Paul Blakey and wife Jean, 38, in Halifax in 2005, Street Angels is credited with reducing violent crime and helping thousands of clubbers get home safely. Paul, 43, said: “We deal more with vulnerability and incidents that police wouldn’t want to spend time involved in. “In any town or city centre when it’s busy we’re part of a family helping the emergency services cope with the cuts.” Going out every Friday and every two Saturdays since they started in 2012, the Leeds Street Angels have helped pull a drunk out of a freezing canal, foiled robberies and stopped women being taken off by men claiming to be their partners. “They save lives,” says bouncer Francisco Gomez, 26, at Brooklyn Bar. Volunteers get basic medical training, know how to treat acid attacks and have been taught what to do in a terror strike by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit. One Street Angels team helps a young woman collapsed outside a McDonald’s. It takes three of them to hold her up as she slips in and out of consciousness between throwing up. She does not want to be helped and swears at them. But after 25 minutes of encouraging her to drink water, calling her boyfriend and stopping her running into oncoming traffic, they get her into her partner’s car. Lee said: “One of the most frustrating things is when people are drunk they don’t think they need help.” By 3am the streets are quiet and they decide to call it a night. Lee added: “We don’t do the job for people saying thank you. "We do it because we know it makes a difference.” |
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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 |