EVERYBODY enjoys a night out on the town, but it is good to know there is a dedicated band of volunteers who are there when they are needed. Whether someone has overindulged or has become lost or injured the Street Angels are there to help. Reporter IAN DUNCAN spent time with them to find out why they do it.

IT IS a typical Friday night in Scarborough’s town centre with revellers moving between busy pubs, clubs and bars.

At 10pm the Street Angels hit the streets, from their Queen Street base, and within minutes there is a minor medical emergency – a woman’s shoes have proved too uncomfortable giving her a blister on her foot.

And minutes later the volunteers are summoned to York Place because door staff are concerned about a young man who is slumped, unresponsive, in a doorway.

These are just two examples of typical situations volunteers have to deal with every Friday and Saturday night according to scheme coordinator Brian Ward.

He said: “The aims are to interact with people on the street and in night-time venues.

“We will be there to care, to listen, to talk and to offer practical help. We are there for the vulnerable.

“We have a very high key presence on the streets with our very distinctive navy blue Jackets with Street Angels emblazoned on the front and back.

“We are called to situations by CCTV, the Night Marshals and the police, as well as members of the public we come across as we walk about the town centre on our dedicated route.”

The group – which is a Christian-based initiative – aims to help achieve a safer community by:

• Helping people to feel safer;
• A reduction in street crime;
• Reduced anti-social behaviour;
• Producing a positive outlook towards the church – with improved links between church and the wider community;
• Improved co-ordination and communication between agencies and police and other emergency services used more effectively.

The idea for the scheme was first proposed in March 2008, when officers from North Yorkshire Police asked if Churches Together in Scarborough could help with the night-time economy, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

Street Angels had already proved successful in Bradford and both the police and Scarborough Council were keen to begin something similar in the town.

When the scheme was officially launched in February 2009, there were 24 volunteers with patrols limited to Saturday nights.

Since then their number has grown to 40 volunteers who cover Friday and Saturday nights.

And volunteers have directly helped an estimated 300 people, cleared 547 bottles and 111 glasses which could have become potential weapons, handed out 69 bottles of water and 135 pairs of flip flops.

Gemma Silk, a 25-year-old from Thwing, near Driffield, is a relatively new recruit who has completed three patrols this year following a 12-week training course.

“I heard about it when they first started it up. It’s a good initiative to go out on the streets and help where you can. I am part of the Kingdom Faith church. It’s a really important and valuable thing to do to help the community,” she said.

Her training involved learning about issues such as drug misuse, child and adult protection, conflict resolution, first aid, radio procedures and self defence.

She said: “Scarborough is a safe place. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but it was exciting and we had been given training. It’s different every time. Sometimes I’ve gone out and it was really busy and other times it was really quiet.

“A few times we’ve found single girls sitting on their own and we’ve managed to comfort them and put them in a taxi to get them home safely.

“We’ve also helped people who have lost their friends and can’t get in touch with them because they are outside a club.

“There are also people who are too drunk to get into clubs and we have given them water to sober them up.

“Everyone’s really welcoming to us while we are out. I think that’s because we are volunteers who want to be there.”

Liz Mitchell, a 44-year-old teacher from Peasholm Drive, has been a volunteer with the scheme since it started and is now a team leader.

She said the main reason she volunteered was to try to keep the streets of Scarborough safe. She said: “It’s something I can do. I work full-time and it’s fitting around my other commitments. It is something I can give to the community and this is important for Churches Together in Scarborough.”

Liz said volunteers did not know what they were likely to encounter on any given night. “For me it was an eye opener because I don’t go out to pubs and clubs. It was lovely spending the time talking to people about their lives,” she said.

“It’s just being there for people when people need us. When you actually finish a patrol it has been worthwhile. We are very positively received on the streets.”

If a violent situation did develop the volunteers are not expected to get directly involved, but could help with the aftermath.

“If somebody had been injured in a fight we could give first aid and call for the emergency services,” said Liz.

Paul Abell, a senior pastor with the Kingdom Faith Yorkshire and chairman of the Street Angels Management Committee, said: “Our desire is not just to be do-gooders, but a trained and equipped team.

“Wearing our distinctive reflective blue jackets we are a visible presence, which is helping to improve the safety of everyone using our bars, theatres, restaurants, clubs and public transport.

“We’re there to help or call the appropriate emergency services, as needed.

“The team is made up of people aged 18 to 79, drawn mostly from our local churches, all with the desire to make Scarborough an even better place to be.”

Later this year organisers plan to develop Youth Angels which will focus on working with young people – particularly to tackle under-age drinking and associated crime.

• To find out more visit: https://www.kingdomfaith.com

From the Scarborough Evening News on Saturday, April 17, 2010.