Celebrations For Ealing Street Pastors

Voluntary group toasts year of growth

Last Thursday about 120 people gathered to celebrate the work of the Ealing Street Pastors over the past year. The Street Pastors, made up of volunteers from local churches, patrol the roads of the Borough on Friday nights in order to provide help and support to passersby.

Joining Rev Les Isaac, the founder of Street Pastors nationally, in last week's celebrations were a number of prominent figures in Ealing, including the Rt Rev Pete Broadbent Bishop of Willsden, Inspector Andrew Deane, Angie Bray MP for Ealing Central and Acton, as well as several Ealing councillors.

(One of Ealing's recruits, Sylvia, with Rev Les Isaac and Angie Bray MP)

In a press release made today, Ann Clifford, the co-ordinator for Ealing Street Preachers had this to say:

"Why were we celebrating? In the last year, 21 new volunteers have joined us. All sorts of people, from all sorts of places. They have given up their time to train and to patrol. They were being commissioned into Ealing Street Pastors.  This involves the Metropolitan Police, the Council and the Ealing churches working together for the good of the community: we call it the Urban Trinity.

(Chrisha and Alfie, two of the new Street Pastors)

"Ealing Street Pastors now has a volunteer team of 50 people which patrols the streets of Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Acton and Southall every Friday night.  We are there to listen, to help and to care. We can help a homeless person find shelter - last year we helped 15 to be taken off the street.  If my daughter was coming out of a club at 2am in the morning, I’d want somebody like us there warding off predatory men. We are a place of safety, just in case. With us around anti-social behaviour goes down.  With us around we can help people find their bus, their taxi, even their friends if they lose them.

"We all live in the borough of Ealing and we really care that where we live should be safe for everyone.  We are there to give value to every single person we meet, because everyone is important to us.

"So look out for the uniform, and when you see us, come and say hi."

For more information about Ealing Street Pastors, visit their website www.ealing.streetpastors.org.uk or email them via ealing@streetpastors.org.uk. You can also reach them by phone, by calling 07908 156927. 

April 9, 2014