Demos have released a report around teenage drinking and the influence of parents on children's drinking attitudes and behaviours - you can read the media release here.
In response: Paul Blakey MBE, CEO and founder of Street Angels - CNI Network, says: "This report shows the importance of giving young people facts and experience around alcohol and safety. Our education resource was developed as our response to young people and alcohol and gives knowledge as well as real life experiences of what our teams of volunteers see on the streets on weekend evenings. We hope that the Demos report will highlight the importance of not avoiding the alcohol conversation with young people." The Alcohol and Safety Education Resource can be downloaded from www.streetangels.org.uk . Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive at alcohol education charity Drinkaware, says: “We warmly welcome Demos’ report which highlights the important influence of parents in providing alcohol to children and on their children’s attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol. Encouragingly nearly three quarters of 9-17 year olds say they would turn to their parents first for information and advice about drinking alcohol*. Yet we know from our own research that parents frequently provide alcohol to older children**, in a belief that introducing alcohol in the home is a good way to teach young people about responsible drinking. In fact, contrary to popular belief, evidence shows that young people who start drinking at an early age drink more and more frequently than those who delay their first alcoholic drink***. “That’s why Drinkaware works to support parents of in their position as positive role models when it comes to alcohol and provides advice on how to talk to children about the risks associated with drinking underage.” Drinkaware has tips and tools to help parents give age-appropriate advice to their children throughout the crucial years in their development at www.drinkaware.co.uk. *Williams, B., et al. Children, Young People and Alcohol, Department for children, schools and families, 2010, p.7. **Ipsos Mori Research for Drinkaware which polled which polled parents (social grades ABC1) of 10-17 year olds and their children 2012 drinkaware.co.uk/about-us/press-office/parents-are-biggest-providers-of-alcohol-to-their-kids,-reveals-drinkaware *** Donaldson, Sir L., Guidance on the consumption of alcohol by children and young people, Department of Health, 2009, p. VIII.
Scotland Wales Source
Police will be teaming up with the Bradford Street Angels this weekend to support revellers who overdo the celebrations. Workers in the Drugs Intervention Programme (DIP), will be joining the Angels tomorrow and on Saturday night in Bradford city centre and Wibsey, helping vulnerable people and giving out alcohol and drug intervention advice. DIP staff will also be based at the police custody suite at Trafalgar House in Bradford to speak to anyone arrested for drink-related offences and to provide further support or referral to alcohol treatment services where necessary. The operations have been planned as part of this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week initiative, a multi-agency scheme aimed to make people across the Bradford district look at their drinking habits. Julie Helliwell, Bradford DIP service manager, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for us to build local links with the Street Angels while offering real-time advice and information to the people of Bradford. “In addition to speaking with people who have committed alcohol-related offences, we have the opportunity to help others consider the potential impact of their drinking, hopefully preventing them from anti-social behaviour and suffering from health problems linked to excessive alcohol consumption.” Paul Sunderland, chairman of Bradford Street Angels, said: “We are looking forward to working with the DIP team and introducing them to our work. “As well as building a good relationship with them, we’re also hoping to introduce them to some people we know who could benefit from their help and advice.” Sergeant Claire Stothers, who is co-ordinating police activities for Alcohol Awareness Week, added: “A lot of police time and effort is spent dealing with alcohol-related offences, so it’s fantastic that the police and partner agencies are working together to alert people to the dangers of drinking excessively and the importance of staying safe on a night out.”
Source
VOLUNTEERS who patrol town centre streets to help late night revellers have a new coordinator to help run their popular scheme. Anita Green, a member of Britwell Baptist Church, has been appointed as part-time coordinator for the Slough Street Angels group. The angels are volunteers from churches who help people in vulnerable situations while on a night out in Slough every weekend. Mrs Green said “I look forward to working with and getting to know Slough Street Angels. I hope that I can take Slough Street Angels to a new level.” The post has been funded by Slough Borough Council and the Heathrow Communities Fund. An office has been set up at the Kingsway United Reform Church for her. Anthony Stansfeld, police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “Working in partnership is important to me so I am delighted to have been able to help support the Slough Street Angels in appointing a coordinator. The practical assistance the Street Angels provide helps to prevent harm to those left vulnerable while out on Friday and Saturday nights.” All appointed street angels are over 18 years old and have been DBS checked and received relevant training. Rev Linda Hillier, chair of Slough Street Angels, added: “Kingsway elders and congregation welcome the strengthening ties with the Street Angels, and I hope that Anita will help the Street Angels make a difference in Slough.” For more information about the charity, call 07591 587422 or email [email protected] or visit www.sloughstreetangels.co.uk Encouragement from Sleaford StreetSource: "It was SO encouraging last night. No we may have had only one brief visitor (needing the loo) during the whole night at the café But we had SO many people acknowledging the great work that StreetSource is doing when we went around the streets of Sleaford. We had group hugs from really people who are only just older than teenagers, and 'RESPECT' shouted down the street. It got me thinking: given the stereotype view of 'Church' these days, what do these 'teenagers' see? Perhaps they see that the 'church' is Real, that the love that you unconditionally offer each week is tangible and a change from what they expect. I wonder how many teenagers would call across 'church folk' for a chat as they stand in the smoking area of a pub at 1am, but they do with StreetSource. To us all: Be encouraged, be truly encouraged. "
18th - 24th November is Alcohol Awareness Week with an aim to start conversations about alcohol. As we approach the main drinking season of the year here is a Christmas survival guide...
Find out more: Alcohol Concern - Alcohol Awareness Week DrinkAware - check the facts on alcohol CNI Network Alcohol and Safety Education Resource Hair of The Dog - some alcohol facts If you need help on a night out or would like someone to come and talk to your group about alcohol and the weekend night-time economy you can always call on the Street Angels (or dudes with wings as we are sometimes known!).... An interesting story from Andy Burns - Dundee Street Chaplains
We as Street Chaplains/Angels/Pastors often pray for protection while out on the street.. Well.. One night not so long ago one of our ladies was walking to the office and she noticed, coming towards her, two young lads who where drunk and heading her way. As they approached her they started to shout and kick at shop doors and throw a few bins over. Being a Christian she sent up a wee SOS Prayer just asking God for protection as she walked on to face the two lads. As they approached her they seemed to move away and give her space.. Later on that night they where arrested by the police who had followed them on the CCTV in the city centre. During their police interview they where asked why they give the young lady space as they passed here. The two young lads looked at each other and then said to the police officer." There were two massive bouncer looking guys with her so we moved away. The young lady who told us this story has said she never noticed anyone walking with here that evening. That's an interesting one eh?. God will and does look after us on the streets at night and in the clubs... BE ENCOURAGED. Thoughts from Leader of Oldham Council - Councillor Jim McMahon
Source IT WAS the annual Best Bar None awards last week – where leading bars, pubs and nightclubs come together to promote a healthy night time economy and celebrate success. It is fair to say that the night-time economy of Oldham town centre is now a shadow of its former self but, unfortunately for licencees, quite a lot of people in the Borough are actually quite relieved about that(!). Several years ago that area, particularly around Yorkshire Street, was burgeoning and regularly packed out with punters. But with any success story you inevitably find that some fly-by-night operators will come along and jump on the bandwagon in a hope to simply cash in and we saw that with some of the types of bars and takeaways which sprang up. There were cheap promotions with drinks often for £1 or less, meaning that bottled water was actually more expensive to drink than vodka. This, sadly, encouraged people to drink as much as they could – and often more than they could handle – before being carried out and ending up in a gutter or worse: fighting in the streets. Don’t get me wrong here – I fully appreciate the problems facing the pub and bar trade. Supermarket deals significantly undercut any town centre establishment and fuelled a problem whereby many revellers were ‘pre-loading’ on cheap booze at home before they’d even arrived in town to dance the night away. Those deals remain unchallenged. For any town centre to succeed it needs a vibrant night time economy just as much as a daytime offer. But equally the town centre is for also everyone – not just for ‘kids’ (you can tell the Council is aging me quickly!) or for those slightly older who still behave like kids. I had the recent pleasure, well perhaps the ‘experience’ at least, of being on Yorkshire Street in the early hours of Saturday morning with my partner after a meal and drinks with friends. Although Oldham is not alone in this – and maybe I’m just getting too old and grumpy – but it didn’t feel as though we have moved on much from the modern disease of going out to get drunk rather than for going for a drink, and the effects are very different. As we plan for the new Oldham we are building we have got to make a decision about how much the current night time economy fits with our vision for a vibrant, healthy town centre. Even today, despite the reported demise of the night time economy, visitors to Oldham Coliseum regularly report feeling unnerved at some of the goings on as they leave the theatre late into the evening. That’s why I welcome the words of Terry Bruce, the owner of Liquid and Envy, in throwing down the gauntlet to the industry to ‘raise the bar’ at the Best Bar None awards. He believes town centre bars need to offer people more and voiced some promising ideas, including the creation of a venue designed to attract people of all ages. For any night time economy to work it has to self-regulate better than it previously did. The Council, Greater Manchester Police and volunteers like the Street Angels can all help but we have limited power against cultural issues or the very apparent ‘race to the bottom’ which sees venues trying to offer the cheapest deal, rather than the best night out. With the cinema on its way to the Old Town Hall supported by a great selection for national and local brand restaurants, Oldham-based bar operators do have a real opportunity to help change our night-time economy for the better. Soon we will also firm up plans for the new Coliseum Theatre and Heritage Centre on Union Street which will bring in visitors from further afield. And all that would be in vain if we allowed Yorkshire Street and the surrounding area to descend unchecked again. We need to sit down with the bars and nightclubs and talk about how the two economies can live and thrive together. For some they are part of that vision, for others it could be a much shorter conversation. In our bid to create the town centre boom we need to make sure those trying to make a quick buck don’t descend on Oldham and undermine what we’re trying to achieve here. Put simply, we need to aim for quality, not quantity. Thanks for listening, Jim Source
TEAMS of Street Angels are to take to Tamworth town centre from the end of this month as a scheme to make visitors and revellers feel safe gets underway. At a meeting last week, six teams of four angels were formed and will take turns to patrol the town's streets between 10.30pm and 2.30am. Each team will have a trained First Responder with appropriate kit and a Townsafe radio linked to the Townsafe network and the other groups on the night patrols. They will carry special foil hoodies for revellers who are suffering from cold. Additionally, each team will carry flip-flops to replace lost shoes or high heels, water, tissues, wet wipes, plasters, rubber gloves and any other items required to clean up vomit or enable first-aid. The Street Angels will wear labelled high-vis jackets. Last weeks meeting about the Angels welcomed special guests Jean and Paul Blakey who set up the first Street Angels in Halifax in 2005. Street Angel schemes now run in 125 towns in the UK and in 2012 the couple won the Big Society Award. Leyfield's vicar Vic Van Den Bergh is behind the Tamworth scheme. He said: "We will be patrolling areas where people are vulnerable as a result of binge drinking, becoming emotionally upset, losing mobile phones, keys, wallets, friends, even breaking their high heels. "In every city, town or village where there are Street Angels, not only have the results been a safer environment, but also official statistics have shown significant reductions in petty crimes of assault, vandalism and theft, which obviously equal savings to us all. It was quoted that each call for an ambulance, resulting in a person going to A&E, without further treatment, costs the NHS £450. Many are low-level first-aid needs and such incidents could be safely dealt with on the street with considerable savings." The teams of four are radio coordinated and linked to CCTV and will be trained in conflict resolution. Vic added: "Ultimately, what we all want, our town to be safer at night for our children, teenagers, residents and visitors – where there are no 'no-go' areas and people can return home safely. "That is why Tamworth Street Angels will be on the streets of our town on November 30, as the Christmas lights go on and the party season begins." Tamworth Street Angels held an information night ahead of the launch on 30th November - the night of the Christmas lights switch-on. Twenty four people signed up as volunteers following the presentation by Paul and Jean Blakey and coordinator Revd. Vic Van Der Bergh. Source
BOLTON Street Angels - who help town centre night time revellers -need a helping hand in their search for a new base. The volunteers are having to relocate because their current premises are being transformed into student accommodation. The Angels have been based at 91 Bradshawgate for three years, paying a peppercorn rent under a government scheme to help not-for-profit organisations set up in vacant commercial units, which they would not otherwise be able to afford. The chairman of Bolton Street Angels Clare Gore said: “There is no doubt that being at 91 Bradshawgate has allowed our organisation to help many more vulnerable people in the town centre. “We have assisted around 220 people per year since we moved in. The shop is close to the action and provides us with a base for our volunteers as well as a safe space for anyone who needs it.” Kevin Hegarty, of Ideal Site Ltd, said: “The Angels were a pleasure to deal with and in a bad letting time were ideal tenants which gave us a credit on the rates. The Angels always kept our property in perfect condition.” But the development of the site means the organisation needs a new office. Bolton Street Angels has recently been awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund Awards for All programme. Ms Gore said: “The grant means that we can continue our good work for longer. It is also great recognition of the work that we do. It shows that we are valued. The grant will pay for training for the volunteers and cover general expenses. “We also have a small amount to help us with the relocation costs such as planning permission or minor repairs.” The Angels have been praised by the community, local police, the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner and the Prime Minister. Ms Gore said: “We have come so far since we began in 2008 and I am determined to keep us going. “We have 30 dedicated volunteers who give their time for free and help so many people whilst also decreasing the burden on public services.” The Angels are looking for a unit in the areas of Bradshawgate, Churchgate, Bank Street or the area of Deansgate, near to Prestons of Bolton. Landlords or agents who can help should contact Andrew Holden on [email protected] Source
OMAGH ‘Street Angels’ took to the streets for the first time on Saturday night to come to the assistance of late night revellers in the town. The project was first muted at the beginning of the year following the death of Monaghan teenager Jason McGovern and ignited further by the death of local man Darren McBrearty. In fact many of Darren’s family and friends are part of the 25 strong team of volunteers who have signed up to bring assistance and shelter to those enjoying night-time entertainment in Omagh at weekends. On Saturday volunteer ‘Street Angels’ were on hand to help the hundreds of young people enjoying a night out in the town. Their duties ranged from sharing cups of tea with revellers, finding taxis for people and even handing out flip-flops to barefoot females. The initiative is run by the Police Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) in Omagh. Vice chair of Omagh District Council, Cllr Sorcha McAnespy has been involved with the project from the outset. She said, “We have all been very keen to get it off the ground and have been working tirelessly to make it a reality. Projects like this don’t happen overnight, and a lot of planning, recruiting and training has been undertaken, as well as applications for funding. We currently have 25 or so volunteers and are keen to recruit more to help spread out the rota, as we are aware that it is a big commitment to ask people to give their weekend nights up.” Cllr McAnespy herself was out on the streets of Omagh on Saturday night from 11pm-3am volunteering as a ‘Street Angel’ which is the unofficial name of the group. She explained the volunteers received very positive feedback from the hundreds of people from throughout Ireland who they encountered on the street in Omagh. “It was a cold, wet blustery night however the passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by the volunteers was contagious and we all came away having enjoyed the experience immensely,” said Cllr McAnespy. “I am also confident that we offered a positive experience to the hundreds of people that we engaged with. We were talking to people from Donegal, Antrim, Armagh, Down and as far away as Galway. Some had come into town on buses others were on hen and stag parties. “We gave out tea, coffee, water, offered shelter and warmth to people, found people taxis, directed people who had got disorientated to their buses, gave out numerous barefoot girls flip flops, reunited groups who had become separated, offered a haven to people who had become isolated from their friends. We assisted young and old, males and females, and people from all sections of society, I think that we benefited also from meeting all these different people as they dispelled the myths and prejudices that may have been built up around the night time economy. Everyone was in great spirits and very grateful and thankful for the assistance they were given in a totally non judgmental way.” Cllr McAnespy thanked everyone who has signed up to this initiative, stating they are all passionate about this cause and she said it showed on Saturday evening. She added, “Everyone had their own reasons for signing up and they are a credit to their families. I am extremely proud that we have so many selfless people willing to give up their free time for the benefit of others and to complement the vibrant night time economy that we have here in Omagh that employs huge numbers of people. “However the PCSP can not work alone and I am delighted to say that we have the full support of the licensees, the fast food outlet operators and the taxi and bus companies. It is imperative that we all work together here in Omagh to positively promote our town as the vibrant, friendly place that it is.” Street Angels, a Christian nightlife initiative won a Big Society Award in 2012 as a successful community group who have spent seven years volunteering alongside the police and local service to protect vulnerable people on the streets.
Street Angels have groups across the country run by volunteers. The Halifax Street Angels also run an Angel’s Rest Café which has become an integral part of the local community. For this week only in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday, they will be donating 50% of their profit from the Café to the Royal British Legion. |
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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 |