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| Street Pastors on the beat in Rotherham | Street Pastors on the beat in Rotherham |
| (21 days later) | |
| Welcome to Rotherham town centre on a mild early Autumn night, surrounded by drunken revellers, bouncers and nice people brandishing flip-flops. | Welcome to Rotherham town centre on a mild early Autumn night, surrounded by drunken revellers, bouncers and nice people brandishing flip-flops. |
| The flip-flop carriers are Street Pastors and they also have sweets and bags of generosity. They are part of the Christian Ascension Trust and according to their web site: | The flip-flop carriers are Street Pastors and they also have sweets and bags of generosity. They are part of the Christian Ascension Trust and according to their web site: |
| are an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and carry outdialogue. | are an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and carry outdialogue. |
Tonight in Rotherham the Pastors on duty are Mike Thomas, Jim Jeffs, Pat Rison and Dale Gregory. Mike Thomas explains their role: | Tonight in Rotherham the Pastors on duty are Mike Thomas, Jim Jeffs, Pat Rison and Dale Gregory. Mike Thomas explains their role: |
| What we do in general is try and help youngsters, especially young women who get split up from their friends ,and make sure they are safe and also try and defuse situations before they get out of hand. | What we do in general is try and help youngsters, especially young women who get split up from their friends ,and make sure they are safe and also try and defuse situations before they get out of hand. |
The Street Pastors have been around in Rotherham for two years, helping the town's revellers out of potentially difficult or dangerous situations. Mike continues: | The Street Pastors have been around in Rotherham for two years, helping the town's revellers out of potentially difficult or dangerous situations. Mike continues: |
| We are helping folk who get into trouble, who have had too much to drink and assist in any basic first aid that is needed. | We are helping folk who get into trouble, who have had too much to drink and assist in any basic first aid that is needed. |
Drink often brings out the worst in people and I ask Mike if he has ever had any trouble in his two years on the streets. | Drink often brings out the worst in people and I ask Mike if he has ever had any trouble in his two years on the streets. |
| I've had just two lads mouth off at me but in all that time we have met hundreds. Generally it's really positive and people high-five us and say 'good on ya. | I've had just two lads mouth off at me but in all that time we have met hundreds. Generally it's really positive and people high-five us and say 'good on ya. |
This is backed up later in the night when I watch the Pastors posing for photographs with revellers and some comedy wigs. | This is backed up later in the night when I watch the Pastors posing for photographs with revellers and some comedy wigs. |
| At the moment, they are out every Friday night, rain or shine. They have also carried out a trial of including Saturday nights, after consultation with local door staff at pubs and bars who told them that Saturdays were getting busier. Mike says: | At the moment, they are out every Friday night, rain or shine. They have also carried out a trial of including Saturday nights, after consultation with local door staff at pubs and bars who told them that Saturdays were getting busier. Mike says: |
| At the moment, we haven't got enough people to do Fridays and Saturdays but we are thinking of doing Saturday nights that fall on pay day, or just afterwards. | At the moment, we haven't got enough people to do Fridays and Saturdays but we are thinking of doing Saturday nights that fall on pay day, or just afterwards. |
| South Yorkshire Police welcome the Pastors as a partner organisation in the management of Rotherham's night-time economy. Chief Insp Ian Womersley says: | South Yorkshire Police welcome the Pastors as a partner organisation in the management of Rotherham's night-time economy. Chief Insp Ian Womersley says: |
| It's a fantastic job that they do | It's a fantastic job that they do |
and the group was included in the recent night-time brief given to the force's own officers and the head doormen of local pubs and clubs. I ask Mike if he enjoys the work and he says: | and the group was included in the recent night-time brief given to the force's own officers and the head doormen of local pubs and clubs. I ask Mike if he enjoys the work and he says: |
| Yeah, very much so. It is very rewarding. I've got two daughters and I would like to think if they were out at night, then people like us were here to help them. | Yeah, very much so. It is very rewarding. I've got two daughters and I would like to think if they were out at night, then people like us were here to help them. |
| An example of what the Pastors do is a tale of Britain today. It was 2:45am and a head bouncer pointed them in the direction of a girl rolling around on the pavement. The pastors managed to call her Dad, who came and picked her up. He thought she was in Sheffield. He thanked the Pastors and wondered what would have happened to his daughter if they had not been there. | An example of what the Pastors do is a tale of Britain today. It was 2:45am and a head bouncer pointed them in the direction of a girl rolling around on the pavement. The pastors managed to call her Dad, who came and picked her up. He thought she was in Sheffield. He thanked the Pastors and wondered what would have happened to his daughter if they had not been there. |
| It is also a tale of modern Britain that the often maligned and misunderstood bouncers or doormen - custodians with the catchphrase "Not tonight son" - work closely with the Street Pastors and swap information by radio link up. The group is also linked up to the town's CCTV system as well as having their own eyes for where the cameras don't reach. | It is also a tale of modern Britain that the often maligned and misunderstood bouncers or doormen - custodians with the catchphrase "Not tonight son" - work closely with the Street Pastors and swap information by radio link up. The group is also linked up to the town's CCTV system as well as having their own eyes for where the cameras don't reach. |
| Their shift starts at around 9pm and normally finishes at around 4am. They give their time for nothing. They also give sweets and flip flops out to those partying too hard. All of them are Christians and come from various churches within the town. Mike says: | Their shift starts at around 9pm and normally finishes at around 4am. They give their time for nothing. They also give sweets and flip flops out to those partying too hard. All of them are Christians and come from various churches within the town. Mike says: |
| The Street Pastors are not unique to Rotherham. The system work through the Ascension Trust and reaches 300 towns now, a bit like KFC in a way. | The Street Pastors are not unique to Rotherham. The system work through the Ascension Trust and reaches 300 towns now, a bit like KFC in a way. |
The arrangement has been crucial in gaining recognition with police and local councils and avoiding dismissal as "some wackos", however well-intending, on the streets. | The arrangement has been crucial in gaining recognition with police and local councils and avoiding dismissal as "some wackos", however well-intending, on the streets. |
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