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It’s one of Britain’s most historic cities, but with York also a magnet for hen and stag parties, its streets have become a drinker’s paradise. Sarah Freeman reports. York is home to the oldest shopping street in Europe, has one of the best preserved medieval guildhalls and its Minster boasts the world’s greatest collection of stained glass windows. It also has more than 365 pubs - one for every day of the year - which may go someway to explaining why the city has become a magnet for drinkers. Take Sunday afternoon. While the sun wasn’t quite out, it was just about warm enough for the riverside to be packed with those determined to make the most of the bank holiday and an extra day off work. A hen party, who looked as though they may well have been poured into the tiny DayGlo dresses they were almost wearing, tottered along the cobbles towards the King’s Arms. Just around the corner a group of lads from Newcastle were spilling out onto the pavement from a nearby bar. One for no obvious reason was dressed as Spider-Man; all had just one thing on their mind - drinking as much as possible before the last train home. By the time the shops were shutting for the evening, the city’s streets were looking even less inviting. High heels had been abandoned, one bride-to-be was being propped up by her chief bridesmaid on Micklegate bridge and countless lost souls were already weaving their way back to the station. “The scene is the same most weekends,” says Dick Syms, chair of York Street Angels. The church-led initiative sees volunteers patrol the city’s streets from 10pm to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. “We’re there to pick up the pieces, to help anyone who has fallen unconscious, to look after those in distress. We hand out flipflops to girls walking around barefoot, in the winter we give out space blankets to those shivering in the cold and we’re always on the look out for anyone who appears disorientated and who has become separated by their friends. “People do realise that we are there to help and while I have only been working as a volunteer for the past six months I’ve never had a negative reaction. In fact, I know that parents in particular are grateful to know that someone is out there keeping an eye on things. “No matter what anyone says, if people want to drink to excess then they will. York has become a bit of a party capital and that inevitably has consequences.” For most of those drinkers that will mean nothing more than a bad head the morning after the night before. However, since the start of this year three young people have died in the city’s rivers. All three are believed to have drowned while on night’s out and their deaths have brought some of the problems which exist in the city centre into sharp focus. They are much the same issues which exist in most towns and cities. However, with York reliant on attracting tourists from both home and abroad, there are fears that if not tackled, the drinking culture could damage the city’s economy. Plans to change the night time offering in York have been talked about for sometime, but the proposals now seem to be gaining momentum. Tonight a report which warns that previous reviews have found drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour “is seen as being a barrier to people visiting the city centre at night” will be considered by members of York Council’s cabinet committee and earlier this month an alcohol restriction zone was extended to help tackle anti-social drinking in public. “It first struck me that something needed to change in York quite a few years ago now,” says York councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, cabinet member for homes and safer communities. “I was walking out of the Guildhall with a couple of colleagues and a Spanish family who were visiting turned and asked where was the best place to go to coffee. It was 8pm, I thought for a while and then realised the answer was, ‘nowhere’. Of course there are pubs that sell coffee, but that’s not what they were looking for. “One of the things I love about visiting Europe going out on a night and seeing so many families enjoying a meal together or friends meeting up for coffee. In places like Barcelona and Paris their night time economy is not just about drink. We have to change the culture in this country and that’s not easy to do.” It has been mooted before, but momentum is gathering behind a pilot scheme which would see shops and cafes in York open later, giving those not intent on drinking the night away a reason to come into the city centre after dark. However, the trick will be convincing those businesses that it’s worth the cost and the effort of extended opening hours. “A number of years ago there was an experiment with late night opening on Thursdays, but it didn’t take off,” admits Cllr Simpson-Laing. “However, I suspect that part of the problem was getting the word out. It was in the days before Facebook and Twitter and we would definitely stand much more of a chance of making it work now than we did then. “The number of European and international visitors we have coming to York has increased. They come here with money to spend and they expect shops and cafes to be open later, because that’s how it is back home. Of course there are questions about footfall and about ensuring it is a viable proposition, but I think if we could get some of the big high street chains on board then it would give us the boost we need.” York’s night-time economy is currently enjoyed by about 14,000 people between 6pm and 5am each week. Unsurprisingly most people go out in the city on Friday and Saturday nights, but York could learn some lessons from its European neighbours where the night time economy runs throughout the week. “York has so much culture and so many attractions and we do need to find a way of ensuring that not everything shuts down at 6pm,” adds Cllr Simpson-Laing, who has recently joined the Alcohol Violence and Night Time Economy (AVANTE) task group. “Wouldn’t it be nice to think that you could come into the city centre at 7pm and still be able to go to a museum. “I’ve only been in post for just over a week, but one of the things I want to do is bring representatives from the pubs, the hackney carriages and retailers together with the police and councillors to see if we can find a way forward. “I met some students from York University recently in Yates’s. When I asked for some peanuts I was told they didn’t serve them and I think that does say something about the culture we have. Some of the major pub chains do need to come on board to look at what we call vertical drinking, where people go from one bar to the next rarely bothering to even sit down. We have to start changing the mind set. “We can’t stop hen and stag parties coming to the city and nor would we want to, but we need to make York a city that everyone can enjoy.” Since Christmas, 3 people have lost their lives to York's rivers. All of them young. All of them on nights out. All of them affected by alcohol. So how can we tackle the issue? Is enough being done to keep people out of trouble when on a night out in York? Are enough people aware of the dangers the rivers pose? And what do you do if a friend ends up entering the water? In this special programme we hear about some of the ways the problem's already being tackled, hear advice and discuss what more could be done to prevent tragedies. George spends a night with the Street Angels - a scheme which has been the inspiration for a new YUSU initiative called Night Safe. Kallum Taylor joins us live to talk about the new sceme, plus we hear from the Police and Crime Commisioner Julia Mulligan, York Rescue Boat, some of your experiences of the river on nights out, plus the mother of Megan Roberts who lost her life to the river in January and the girlfriend of Ben Clarkson whose death came the month after. All that and lots more. The Northern Conference in York was a great day with 70 people representing 24 local projects from Cleveland, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Wales and Yorkshire. You can read about the day here. Are late night brawls a thing of the past asked the media as figures show a 12% year-on-year drop in admissions to English hospitals for violent injuries are just the latest evidence of a remarkable and welcome trend. The BBC claim "Something extraordinary is happening". It is interesting that this has happened over the last 10 years since street patrol initiatives within the night-time economy took off! A connection maybe? When Street Angels was first launched in Halifax Paul shared in several meetings that when we pray and action towards 'God's Kingdom come, God's will be done, on earth as in heaven' the reality of that is reduced crime, safer streets, less aggression, etc. When violent crime was reduced in Halifax by 42% in 12 months, that the church was active in the town at a time and in an area of most need was a significant factor (along with better partnership working between the different agencies). We have evidence from several local projects that one of the outcomes is reduction in violence and anti-social behaviour. Well done to all our local projects and volunteers who have contributed to this 12% year on year reduction. The Annual General Meeting of 'Street Angels - Christian Nightlife Initiatives' was held at the Northern Conference - please do have a look at: Agenda and Reports, Accounts Balance Sheet 2013/14 and Minutes of the AGM. One of our main issues moving forward is that of funding - our current funding is set to run out in July (this year). The trustees have made a fresh appeal to our local projects to consider investing £300 each year into CNI Network - this is less than the amount similar projects ask for one volunteer - as well as asking individuals if they would consider setting up monthly standing orders. There is a desire and vision not only to continue and grow the activity we are currently involved in but to grow and develop Club Angels (especially as nightclubs are requesting and desperate for Club Angels teams!). Moving forward our core costs are £50,000 - not a great amount considering all that CNI Network does - if you can donate please see here or if you can distribute printed leaflets to those who may be interested in investing in our work see here. Water safety - this year has seen a lot of tragic deaths with young people who, after drinking, have either fell into or drowned swimming across rivers. Alcohol and rivers, lakes or the sea do not mix. We are encouraging projects in towns with rivers, lakes or by the sea to put out safety reminder messages on social media and to look for opportunities to go into schools or to speak to young people around alcohol and safety (we have a pack for this here). You may also want to follow and like Riverside Awareness UK - Facebook / Twitter / YouTube video (not for children). The launch of Street Angels in Magaluf has attracted a great deal of media attention - BBC Radio Leeds interviews / BBC Leeds web site / Premier Christian Radio interview and see the Canal 4 TV feature below. If teams of Street Angels from the UK can visit Majorca over the summer to help the team run for 7 days (4am - 7am) and talk to people during the day around safety, etc please contact Cameron. It is great that Blackpool and Fylde Street Angels, Stockton Town Pastors and York Street Angels have all launched mobile support units over the last month. This will help the projects to provide a safe place in the heart of the night-life as well as allow the teams to move locations to respond to new venues and events. From the Blog: Street Angels Leeds Project Coordinator (job vacancy) Drinkaware - drunken nights out overview Hull street angel Christine Mobbs: 'We're here to help, not to judge' High Sheriff’s parting shot for charity Manchester Street Angels is launched Watford 'street angels' given £500 boost Bridlington Street Angels looking to expand Riverside Awareness UK Tamworth Street Angels on David Cameron and Big Society CNI Network Easter Message Launch of Stockton Town Pastors mobile support unit 21st century Good Samaritans - Halifax Street Angels (student article) Huge Bolton festival set to see families flock to the town centre on Easter Monday The Sun Easter feature by Belper Street Angels coordinator On our Facebook page - welcome 14 new Street Angels in Guildford; thank-you's from people helped by Street Angels; 106 fewer victims of violent crime in North Yorkshire; new Street Angels in Bognor-Regis; safe place scheme for Leeds students; Vicar of a different chapel! On our Twitter feed - Oldham Angels won a cake; Festival Angels and Club Angels updates; I'm loving Street Angels instead; Street Angels for Goole; BusOasis works with young people on street; marshmallow shaped Easter bunnies - do follow and like us on Facebook and Twitter! ![]() 2015 sees us celebrate 3 milestones in our work - 20 years of street work in Northern Ireland (Belfast NightLight), 15 years of work in Scotland (Dundee's Street Chaplains) and 10 years of work in England (Halifax Street Angels). This is a great reason to celebrate!!! 2015:10 will be a year long celebration to recognise the massive impact all our projects are making in local communities and towards this nation and, increasingly, the world. Rod Cleasby (Wash My Pink Jumper) has designed a logo (above) and Lambeth Palace is booked for a launch Afternoon Tea on Monday 20th October (numbers are limited, book soon!). We are hoping to hold special events throughout the year and encourage local projects to include the logo on any events and publicity that they run. We are in the process of setting up a special web site which will bring together all that is planned. The year will end with the National Conference in Northumberland 23-25 October 2015.
Please share the 'Angels watching over you as you head to the beach this summer' article to encourage young people to have a fun and safe holiday and also so that parents and grand-parents can encourage children / grand-children to be aware of our linked work across Europe... This is great for church and community magazines, newspapers, sending to local radio stations as well as on your Facebook and Twitter. www.sa-cni.org.uk/1/post/2014/03/angels-are-watching-over-you-as-you-head-to-the-beach-this-summer.html
Source Hull Street Angels Trinity, which operates in Old Town, is seeking new volunteers. Chief Reporter Kevin Shoesmith speaks to one volunteer about the job. SHE hits the town every Friday and rarely gets in much earlier than 3am – not bad for a great-grandmother. By day, Christine Mobbs is a credit controller for Hull company Good Travel Management. However, at night, when the streets are full with revellers in high spirits, Christine is all smiles and in among them. For more than a year, Christine has spent her Friday nights touring the Old Town. But her high-visibility jacket displaying the logo of Hull Street Angels Trinity marks her out a helper, not a reveller. "I find it really fulfilling and extremely rewarding," says Christine. It was not too long ago that a senior Hull judge said he wouldn't dare walk through the city centre at night. But Christine takes life as a Street Angel volunteer all in her stride. "I can honestly say I have never felt unsafe," she says. "You always patrol with at least one other person and you carry a radio that is linked to Civic One." Civic One is Hull City Council's CCTV nerve centre. "If you ever feel vulnerable, all you have to do is radio Civic One and they'll immediately put a camera on you," says Christine. Christine's organisation is on a recruitment drive, hoping, eventually, to be able to branch out from the city's Old Town. So what does a Street Angel do? "We are there to help people," says Christine. "We are not there to judge. "If we spot someone who has drunk too much, we will offer them water. "If they have lost their friends, we will help him or her find them. "What we will never do is leave them. "If you've drunk too much, you can be very vulnerable. "If they have money on them and we are confident they will not be sick, we will call one of the taxi firms we have a very good relationship with. "Often, this firm will give us priority because they respect the work we do." Christine and her team will also, if needs be, ring a young person's parents. "I've rung people's mums and dads before asking if they would pick up their son or daughter," she says. "You'd think they would be mad but they're always appreciative of the fact we've found them and they're safe." Like all volunteers, Christine has received first-aid and conflict management training to help defuse possible scenarios. "It is not our job to get involved," she says. "If someone is being aggressive, they clearly do not want your help." Often, though, as Christine is at pains to stress, Street Angels encounter grateful revellers. "One 18-year-old lad came running up to me one night and thanked me for helping him a few weeks earlier," she says. "He's been out celebrating a birthday and drunk too much. We'd found him and rung his mum, who came out and collected him." Old Town has a lot of cobbles," she says. "We often see girls carrying their three-inch heels. "We'll offer them a pair of plastic sandals. It prevents broken toes and ankles and that, of course, frees up the doctors' time at Hull Royal Infirmary." So what drives a woman with two children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, to head out, in all weathers, to help strangers? "I wanted to give something back to society," says Christine. "I was married. I lost my husband three years ago after a long illness. "People were wonderful to me and helped me so much. I wanted to give something. "I am a keen walker and I am never cold – we've all got high-visibility, waterproof clothing." Christine is often passing on advice to her grandchildren, who range in age from 14 to 23. "They love to go out partying, just as I did when I was their age," she says. "But I am always reminding the girls to be on their guard against drink spiking. "I'll tell them, if you leave the bar to have a dance, either finish your drink before you go, or buy another. Never leave your drink unattended." Christine appears every bit the laid-back sort but even she admits to having been shocked by the rise in the use of so-called legal highs. "As part of the training, we go to a police station and have a really useful talk on substance misuse," she says. "Well, I must have been living in a bubble, because I'd never even heard half of the drugs' names, like M-cat, that are popular. "One night, I encountered a homeless lady who had taken this stuff. She was in a pretty bad way." Christine insists the city centre, including the Old Town, is a safe, pleasant place to enjoy a night out. She says: "The vast majority of people are happy drunks, as I call them. "It's only a few, a very small minority, who can not handle their alcohol and turn nasty." And in case you're wondering, Christine insists she never judges. "We've all been there at some point in our lives," she says, laughing. Anyone interested in become a volunteer member of Hull Street Angels Trinity should visit www.hullstreetangelstrinity.org.uk/ volunteers to download an application pack. Alternatively, email [email protected] or call 07580 032779 or further information. Source
Community charities and Calderdale’s only special high school were presented with awards in the last official engagement for Virginia Lloyd, High Sheriff of West Yorkshire. Halifax’s The Basement Project, The Next Step Trust, Halifax Street Angels, Ravenscliffe High School and Elland’s Overgate Hospice were recognised for outstanding contribution to the county in a ceremony at Leeds Combined Court. Each beneficiary were presented with a certificate and a small donation. Mrs Lloyd said: “The High Sheriff Award Ceremony has given me the opportunity to recognise some of these passionate and dedicated people who make West Yorkshire the wonderful place it is.” Mrs Lloyd, co-founder of Design and Display, Elland, with her husband Clive, stepped down from her position after completing her one year term. The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal one year appointment. Mrs Lloyd said: “My year as High Sheriff has been both incredibly exciting and humbling. It’s been an absolute privilege to meet so many inspirational people who give so much of themselves to help others. “I feel immensely proud of being High Sheriff of a county containing so many amazing people and organisations.” The origins of the Office date back to Saxon times, when the ‘Shire Reeve’ was responsible to the King for the maintenance of law and order within the shire, or county, and for the collection and return of taxes due to the Crown. Today, there are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales each year. Could you lead a team of people seeking to show and share God’s love in the nightlife of Leeds?
Could you represent the church through partnership work with the city-centre’s agencies? Could you develop this project into one which seeks to shape a culture as well as respond to its needs? The Street Angels project began in January 2012 and is one of 100 projects across the UK which seeks to show care and compassion in the city’s nightlife. We currently serve on Friday nights and hope to develop and expand our patrols. The co-ordinator will lead patrols at night, and play a key role in the safety partnerships of the city-centre during the day. We are looking for someone who is able to lead and co-ordinate a diverse team, oversee and manage the project, and network well with churches, partner agencies, and similar projects. Job Description: Post to commence: August/September 2014 (decision to be made in conversation with the successful candidate). Applications to be received by 16th May 2014. Hours of work: 20 hours per week - to include night-time patrols. Salary: tbc (£20,000 pro rata over 20 hours). Holiday: pro-rata of 5 weeks. Interviews likely to take place in an evening the first week of June. Must be available for a 2 day induction plus a Friday night patrol before August 1st 2014. If you are interested in this post please send a CV and covering letter to: [email protected] Person Specification:
Duties of the Post: To manage the project
To work towards the development of the project
Key Working Relationships:
Our work was the main feature on Johnny I'Anson's breakfast show on BBC Radio Leeds on Sunday 27th April - interview 1 was with Paul Blakey MBE sharing about the work in Magaluf and across the UK including Club Angels and Festival Angels; interview 2 is the Sunday Review guests sharing thoughts on the work of Street Angels; interview 3 was Cameron Springthorpe from Street Angels Magaluf talking about the first night of the 2014 season. ![]()
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A group in Halifax that helps people on the town's streets at night is setting up a branch in the Spanish holiday resort of Magaluf.* The Street Angel Christian Nightlife Initiative sees volunteers patrolling the streets to help deal with alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour Around 25 to 30 volunteers have been trained to work with Spain's Guardia Civil in Magaluf, Majorca. Cameron Springthorne, from the group, said patrols operate from 04:00. "We pick people up who have drunk too much or who might have had their drink spiked, and take them to a place of safety. "They might just need someone to sit with them, walk them back to hotels or into taxis - we're just a positive influence and a visible presence." A pilot scheme was launched in the nearby Santa Ponsa resort last summer. Since the group started in Halifax in 2005, more than 100 similar schemes have been set up across the UK "We're not there to judge - we're just there to help people in a vulnerable condition," Mr Springthorne said. * The Magaluf team is volunteers - locals and ex-pats - from Majorca with some teams planning to join them from UK and Germany over the height of the season so that we can offer more days. A video from Riverside Awareness UK who have made this short video to raise river safety awareness - please make sure younger children don't watch this... Source
Our society is becoming significantly less violent. Today's figures suggesting a 12% year-on-year drop in admissions to English hospitals for violent injuries are just the latest evidence of a remarkable and welcome trend. Something extraordinary is happening. The chances of being a victim of violent crime in Britain are half what they were less than 20 years ago. Murders are at their lowest level since the early 1980s. It's not just in Britain. Violence appears to be falling in many developed countries, with no obvious common political or ideological driver. The homicide rate has halved since the early 90s in Sweden, Germany, Italy, Hungary, France, Netherlands, South Africa, Canada and the US, the list goes on, despite markedly different approaches to criminal justice and social policies. So what is happening? One popular current theory is that the switch to lead-free petrol has reduced ingestion of a substance, which in substantial doses over a long period has known links to aggression. There is a striking correlation between a fall in violence and the introduction of unleaded fuel in different countries. However, the continued substantial fall in serious violence in the UK suggests to me that there are other social and cultural factors at play. Hospital admissions statistics for violent injury have a strong whiff of alcohol about them - victims are still most likely to arrive late on a Friday or Saturday night, they are predominantly young men and women who have been drinking. But our relationship with alcohol is changing. When Tony Blair suggested tackling violent and anti-social drinking by encouraging a Southern European cafe culture with more relaxed licensing rules, people scoffed and predicted mayhem. But, actually, young people are drinking less and behaving better. In many places, the police, local authorities and the licensed trade work successfully together to manage the night-time economy - it may still be a far from edifying scene, but incidents of violence are much fewer and far between than they were. Some people suggest that the rising price of alcohol is reducing consumption. Public health workers, campaigners and teachers will also claim credit for promoting a culture of responsible drinking. The important word in that last sentence, I think, is culture. We are witnessing a cultural shift away from violence and aggression that is building upon itself. It is cool to be cool. A Home Office research study in 2003 concluded that, for many young Britons, fighting while drunk was seen as an inevitable fact of life. The report quotes a young woman saying: "I have a drink and I just want to fight anyone." A young man agrees: "It is part of our heritage. Like football matches, you always get a fight at the end." Whether it's licensing laws or lead-free petrol that has been the catalyst, something appears to have changed such attitudes. Our society has become noticeably more intolerant of violence. Whether it is bar-room brawls, football hooliganism, domestic violence or hate crimes, the idea that such behaviour is "inevitable" or "none of our business" is now routinely challenged. We may have reached a critical tipping point where aggression and violence are no longer acceptable as an inescapable feature of contemporary life. Corporal punishment is out. Anger-management is in. It is tempting to see this change as part of a much longer phenomenon - the civilizing of our society over centuries. In the 14th century, Britain had murder rates akin to the Congo today. Violence was ubiquitous. Three hundred years later, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes' observation that life in nature was "nasty, brutish and short" still had justification. Today, for those fortunate enough to live in the developed world, the chances of having one's life cut short through violence are probably lower than at almost any point in history. Intolerance of aggression and tolerance of difference have become social norms that make for a more peaceful and calm society. Source
A NEW round of street angels have been blessed on their way to helping night-time revellers stay safe - as the group makes a desperate plea for more help. Another four new faces were officially inducted into the Slough Street Angels at a commissioning service at the Kingsway United Reformed Church, Slough, on Friday, April 11. The angels have been walking the streets of Slough every weekend evening for two years, providing a helping hand to anyone in need. But Anita Green, Slough Street Angels co-ordinator, said: “When we first started the group we had an influx of people sign up. But it has dried up recently and we still need lots of volunteers. We are struggling to get four people to go out each Friday.” The angels are volunteers associated with local churches who help people in vulnerable situations while on a night out. The group was set up in Slough in December 2011. A similar angels initiative has also been running in Maidenhead since January 2011 and Windsor since April 2012. Police have said the scheme has a positive impact on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as providing public reassurance. All street angels must be at least 18 years old, have been DBS checked and affiliated to a church. All angels will receive relevant training. For more information, call 07591 587422 or email [email protected] Whilst chatting with The Sun newspaper they asked if we knew of a young vicar who was connected with CNI Network who could write an Easter article - great that the coordinator of Belper Street Angels Rachel Marszalek was featured in The Sun over Easter weekend...
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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 |