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While bing drinking ourselves into oblivion as a national sport might be on the decline, for people working for the emergency services in Manchester on a weekend, things are still far from calm. The people of Manchester love a drink, but how do you deal with the extra pressure this puts on emergency services? Dr Cliff Mann, president of the College of Emergency Medicine, has called for more arrests, claiming "If more people knew that if they got drunk they were going to be arrested, they wouldn't drink in the first place." Realistically, it'll probably take more than the threat of arrest to stop people necking £1 Sambuca shots and vomming up on their shoes – but there is a need for something to help alleviate the additional strain put on A&E. That's where the Manchester Street Angels come in, a group of trained volunteers who spend their Friday nights looking after people who have become drunk so much that they're vunerable. They currently patrol the Deansgate area of the city centre, a popular drinking destination on a weekend and home to the largest public house in the UK, The Moon Under Water, somewhat over-optimistically named after George Orwell's ideal pub . And it seems a sober set of eyes patrolling the streets is much needed. Over the last few years there's been a disproportionately large number of deaths in and around the waterways of Manchester – 61 bodies in just six years. The volume of incidents even led one academic to suggest it's no coincidence, claiming there may be a serial killer patrolling the canals, "The Pusher" – a notion dismissed by Greater Manchester Police. The Angels started out three years ago in response to these incidents, as a support group on Facebook for the friends and families of the victims. "Because of all the deaths in the papers we felt that something needed to be done," the group's Chair, Rachel Goddard told me.After the tragic death of 17-year-old Adam Pickup over Christmas 2013 the push to set up an on-the-street volunteer organisation picked up momentum. The project officially launched in November 2014, after receiving financial backing from Greater Manchester Police and Adam's parents. I met up with them at their office, before heading out to experience the sober-end of a Friday night in Manchester. It's still fairly early as we arrive at Deansgate Locks, epicentre of a particular strand of drunken Manchester nightlife. The Locks are located in the converted railway arches underneath Deansgate Station, and are home to numerous trendy bars and clubs – the kind of place where you can enjoy a night of auto-tuned pop music surrounded by men who might punch you in the face at any second, which is why there's a large police presence outside. At this point the atmosphere is pretty relaxed though. Young lads in expensive rental cars are cruising up and down the street, blasting out Drake in the hopes of impressing passing women with their YOLO lifestyle. As we leave the Locks to patrol back up Deansgate I ask Michelle, one of the new recruits, what made her give up her Friday night to do this. "Because I've got a daughter who's nearly old enough to start going out, and it's reassuring to know that there are people on the streets who would look after her if she needed it," she tells me. "Yeah, same for me," adds Kim, another new volunteer. The Street Angels are part of the Christian Nightlife Initiatives, a network of similar projects that operate in towns and cities throughout the UK. But they're not a religious group, as Rachel tells me, "I'm not a Christian – I'm not against religion, but that's just not me. When we signed the agreement with the CNI Network we stated it wasn't going to be 'let's hold hands and pray before we go out,' it's more of a case that if you care and are willing to be trained then you can come out and make a difference." Outside House of Fraser we pass a busker playing Wonderwall, with a keen member of the public in a green parka on vocals. This extremely Manchester scene is cut short when he sees us and starts to play Yellow, in honour of our hi-vis jackets. Further on we encounter a guy who mistakes the Angels for a gang of rogue bouncers before realising who they are and enthusiastically telling us how much he respects the work the group do and handing out a round of high-fives, before casually returning his hand to its previous position down the front of his pants. Up the road some lads in a car spot the yellow jackets and all immediately put their seatbelts on. The group work as a visible deterrent while on patrol, both for minor infringements and potentially much worse offences. "The police have told us they can tell we're out there, because if you're having a [quiet] night, it's because you're deterring people, they see the yellow jackets and they mistake you for the police," Rachel told me earlier. You're not allowed to say the word "quiet" on shift though, it's considered the Street Angel equivalent of "Macbeth" to superstitious actors – a perfect way to jinx the situation and ensure something bad kicks off. Just as I start to think things are pretty quiet, Rachel receives a radio call from a Taxi Marshall saying there's an intoxicated girl who needs assistance at Deansgate Locks. We head down there and the Angels take her to a nearby bench to assess the situation. She's incoherent and can't remember the code for her phone. They wrap her in a space blanket to keep her warm, but as they can't contact anyone to get her home safely and suspect there may be drugs involved they ring for an ambulance, waiting with her for over an hour until it arrives. It makes you wonder might have happened if the Angels weren't there to help. It's clear the emergency services are stretched to their limit, and don't have the time or resources to focus on people who've become vulnerable through drink. Out on the streets everyone told us how much necessary they think the work the volunteers do is. One man I spoke to whilst waiting for the ambulance told me, "I've got a lot of respect for what they do because I've been in that state before," which is probably true for most people. The CNI Network and broader Street Angels movement won David Cameron's Big Society Award in 2012. Rachel doesn't seem particularly sold on the Big Society or its awards, saying that's not why they're doing it: "We're not here for awards or recognition, we know we've made a difference since November," adding, "I'm just doing my bit for the community." But whether they like it or not they are a part of Cameron's Big Society, helping to cushion the impact of cuts to the emergency services by assisting them on a Friday night. Data from Public Health England regarding alcohol-related deaths show a growing national disparity, with the most deprived areas suffering the highest rates. Another survey by the campaign group Drink Wise found that Manchester was the binge drinking capital of the North West. I asked Rachel whether she thought there was a problem with excessive drinking in the city. "I wouldn't say there's a booze problem, just that people in Manchester are mad for it and want to enjoy their nights out," she said. And so long as they do, they should be grateful for the Street Angles. @CBethell_photo (photos below) Today (Thursday 9th July) at the Redcar and Cleveland Volunteer Awards, Barry Coppinger, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland presented the Community Safety Award to Redcar Beacons, represented by three of our coordinators, and our parent organisation “Footprints in the Community” who run several schemes including the Foodbanks was also commended for their excellent work.
Oldham Street Angels are very pleased to offer work experience for people working within the health service. They try to prevent patients turning up at A&E by treating minor ailments on the street however sometimes they can't be avoided. We do ensure top quality patient experience & care. This text was received from Joanne our nurse on duty last night:- Can u pass a massive thank you on to Hannah for last night she was brilliant x" The whole team was tops on a particularly 'bloody' & hectic night (we called out 3 ambulances for substance misuse, drunken fall with head injury & severe blood loss following a fight resulting in a fist/arm going through a window) There were several other incidents & everyone played their part but Hannah Land was a great partner to Joanne with the medical aid responses. If we ever doubted our contribution to Oldham's night economy we were assured of our value last night. Thanks all x Source It's more or less a year since I went out on patrol with the Mallorca Street Angels overnight in Magaluf so this week I caught up with the group's leader Cameron Springthorpe and a new girl on the block, Jud Sweeney. Vicki McLeod: So, your season has started now for 2015. How are you getting on so far? Cameron Springthorpe: It's very interesting and heartening to see so many different groups getting involved and helping. This year we know about a group from the Norwegian Church who are helping visitors from Scandinavia; we know that the Vinyard Church, an Evangelical group based in Palma, came out to see what it was like, I believe with the intention to see if they could run a similar group in Palma, and we know about the Gospel Tribe who are a German Bible School who are patrolling in s'Arenal and have also been over to Magaluf as well. VM: Wow! So you've got company! SC: Yes, it's good news. VM: How have you found Magaluf this year so far ? SC: We haven't seen people in such a bad state as we did last year. I would say of last year's experiences we were finding about 50% or 60% of the people unconscious or semiconscious at the outset. It has not been as bad this year. The people are more responsive and they are waking up easier than previously. We are seeing less drinking on the streets, and less broken bottles as a result. VM: Is it still the case that the majority of the people you are finding are either too inebriated to find their way home, or are simply lost and disorientated and don't know where they are staying? SC: Yes, that is the case. Jud Sweeney: We helped a guy recently who couldn't remember where he was staying so we were looking on his Facebook to try to find his friends who may be on holiday with him. In the end we rang up his mum in the UK to ask her if she knew the name of his hotel. But she didn't so she had to go down the road and ask one of his friends if they knew! Eventually we got him home. VM: This is your first year in Mallorca Jud, how are you finding it? JS: I really like it. I'm part of a group called 247 Ibiza which has been operating in Ibiza for the past twelve years and I wanted to come over to Mallorca to see how it worked here. We would have tended to go out earlier in the evening in Ibiza than the Street Angels do here because we want to try to have conversations with people before they get so drunk that they can't have a chat anymore. We look for people who may want to talk. We want to share some kindness and love with them. There are always people who are not having the best time, and they might want to have a chat and we offer them the opportunity to pray with us as well. We would get asked "Why do you want to be here? It's awful!" so we know that some holiday makers don't really like where they are either. We also would talk to the workers and the PRs as they have a tough time in Ibiza or here. We try to help: cleaning up someone who’s vomiting, helping vulnerable people – drunk, drugged, injured or alone - to a safe place, listening to someone’s story or frustrations of the day, celebrating good news and happy times with people. taking someone who’s been injured to a medical centre, sharing our faith and stories of God with those who are keen to hear, seeking to bring calm to agitated people and stressful situations and asking God to lead us to specific people he wants us to talk to and to give us the words he wants them to hear. VM: What makes you want to come out here and spend your summers doing this? JS: I'm a teacher back home, and I am active in my local church group. I get a lot of support both from the parents and my church. Members of churches come out to help for a week or so at a time and join the team which gives us an energy boost as well. Parents that I know have said that they would want their children to have someone to look after them if they were in trouble away from home. When I was younger I had a wild spell and I could have easily ended up in a lot of trouble, luckily I was able to change my path so I know that some people just want to party for the sake of having a party, and for other people it is hiding more fundamental issues. Now I want to give back and help other people who might need me. VM: I know when I went out with the Street Angels I really enjoyed it, I know that sounds a bit perverse, but I truly did! I liked the feeling of being able to do something practical and helping people. It's important to not be judgmental isn't it, because that's not helping at all. JS: Yes, absolutely, you cannot judge someone or tell them they've done something wrong. When you are helping them get home or whatever it is they need from you you've got to focus entirely on that. VM: How many people might you help on average night? SC: Between 10 and 15 people normally. VM: Last year when we met you told me that you were looking for a golf buggy or something you could use for transportation. Did you manage to get your wish? SC: Not exactly, but we have got a car that we are able to use. Ideally though what we would like is a Kangoo type of van where the doors slide back, it would make it much easier to help people in and out of the vehicle. We've taken people home, and even taken them to Son Espases for treatment.
VM: So if any of the readers wanted to donate a Kangoo then they should get in touch! Is it still the case that the Street Angels are looking for volunteers? SC: Yes we are, we are always open to more people joining us and being on patrol. You don't have to be a Christian, but you do have to be in agreement with our principals or it won't work. We've currently got a team of nineteen people working this year. Between Street Angels and the other Christian based groups working Magaluf there is some sort of presence there every night which is great progress and we know we are helping to make a difference to these young people on holiday. You can contact Cameron on 629056193. You can see more on www.streetangels.es and www.24-7ibiza.com News from our team in Magaluf...
Since last weekend we have started covering Friday mornings as well, thanks to the wonderful help of the first short term team with 24-7 prayer. They have been here two weeks and this was their last weekend, they have made a real difference and enabled us to help many more people. They have also been going around the streets on the other nights to pray and chat with people, wearing their 24-7 t-shirts. So thanks for everything guys and come again soon! Visit www.streetangels.es to volunteer, donate or find out more! The Group Giving Their Time To Support Shoppers & Workers - Aylesbury Chaplaincy and Street Angels6/27/2015
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In the last year, they've given 500 hours of their time to help people in Aylesbury town centre, but you might not even know they exist. The Town Centre Chaplaincy team are in the shopping centres, the police station and the courts, offering advice and support to several people a week. Catherine Turnbull-Ross is on the team - she says they offer something others can't: "Sometimes people have got a real problem either at work or at home and those closest to them are either going through the same thing or they don't want to share something personal with their work colleagues. "So this is an independent, non-judgmental person." The chaplaincy team have been going since 2011, but have been out and about a lot more in the last year or so. Their main partners are the Street Angels, who work at night across the weekends. Although mostly church volunteers, the team say their mission isn't to 'convert' anyone, but to offer support or just a chance to talk in whatever situation they're in. Mark Knight, another person on the team, backed this up: "A good chaplain is like a chameleon. They will become, in time, an accepted member of the team. "So it's not a stranger anymore. This person becomes someone that people see as part of their team and they come to them knowing that that person understands, in some measure, the challenges that that person faces." The team's easily identified by their blue jackets or shirts with 'Chaplain' written on the back.
BBC Newsbeat on Magaluf - full article
Piece about Street Angels: Cameron Springthorpe leads the Street Angels, who are volunteers who walk around the main part of Magaluf and help vulnerable people. Cameron has teams out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, but says "it's too early to tell" whether or not the laws are having any effect. "We can't say, because each week is different," he says. "And at the moment we don't have the pattern to know. If you ask me again in a couple of months, hopefully I'll have an answer. "There's certainly a lot more police around than usual. Police and more Guardia. I can't say, other than that we haven't seen any change." What a difference faith makes to alcohol use - CNI Network featured in new Faith Action report6/11/2015
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THE streets of Mallorca are filling up once again with visitors and we’re seeing the switch from bicycles to hire cars on the roads. Parts of the island are looking forward to a bumper summer season with full hotels and busy beaches. But there is a big question to be answered for 2015. What is going to happen to or IN Magaluf? Is it going to be another year of disasters, deaths and drunkenness all splashed across the British tabloids. Or can Magaluf start to turn it around and revitalise its image? This week the bylaws have been changed to enforce a new law about drinking on the streets between 10pm and 8am but it would seem that no one told the authorities as already the resort has been the subject of a Daily Mirror front page story claiming that the police aren’t upholding the new law. Every year I spend at least one evening a week in Magaluf over the summer months and the majority of the time I would say I feel reasonably safe. But there are elements of Magaluf that have to be changed, like the prostitutes who lurk in side roads waiting to relieve their customers of their wallets. It seems that instead of focusing on this real threat the police prefer to pay attention to the ‘no bikini’ rule on the streets around the beaches. It’s hard to explain to the visitors why they shouldn’t walk around in a bikini or swimming trunks; it’s so hot for a start. Yesterday I heard of a group of lads being fined €500 for not wearing shirts on the street. It’s another type of mugging I guess. There are some upsides to Magaluf, the investment going into the area is immense. In the past month we have seen the opening of the third season of Nikki Beach, the first season of BH Mallorca hotel complex (which is incredible), and let’s not forget the new Aldi! I think I actually saw more people that I knew in there on its first day than I had in the whole of the previous month. And there are the Street Angels back on the block looking out for people in trouble in the early hours of the morning at the weekends. I am hoping to go out with them a couple of times this summer, and they are always open to having more volunteers. Cameron Springthorpe is my contact there and you can see more info at www.streetangels.es or email him on [email protected]. Keep your fingers crossed for Magaluf this summer; let’s hope the stories coming out of the resort are good ones. www.familymattersmallorca.com |
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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 |