Here to listen, care and help: Celebrating Bristol Street Pastor support across the city

For over a decade, the Bristol Street Pastors have been helping to keep our city safe.

25/07/2024

BID Lead

The Bristol Street Pastors is a local Christian charity established by the Ascension Trust. Bristol City Centre BID provides funding to support the Bristol Street Pastors in providing their caring, non-judgemental service across the city centre on Saturday nights. For over a decade, Bristol Street Pastors have volunteered their time to contribute to the safety of Bristol’s night-time economy, helping to make our city a friendlier, more welcoming place for everyone.

We recently met with Helen, Chair of the Bristol Street Pastors, to learn more about the city-wide initiative.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE BRISTOL STREET PASTORS?

“The Street Pastor initiative has been here in Bristol for 11 years and I have been chair for 5 of those. In April 2013, the team patrolled the streets of the city centre for the first time and we’ve been going out almost every Saturday night since.

We wander around city hotspots from 10.30pm on Saturday nights until the early hours of the morning, when we feel we are no longer needed. We chat with people, greet those who are out for the night, and assist in any way that we can to make sure everyone has a safe night out. We do not preach; that is not a part of our role, but we provide a non-judgemental service to help make our city safer.

Our mission statement is ‘here to listen, care, and help’ which is at the core of what we do. We help people have a safe night out, whether that’s helping with directions, arranging a safe means of travel home, providing first aid or contacting emergency services, or simply listening to people and offering our time and advice.

We hand out bottles of water, sick bags, lollipops, and flip-flops to anyone who needs them, to help make their night safer and more enjoyable. We also pick up any broken glass that we spot to ensure no one injures themselves. We spend time chatting to members of the street community to make sure they are okay and hand out BillyChips that they can redeem for food or drink at participating stores across the city.

Although we do not preach, the Street Pastors are based in prayer. You have to be a church member to become a Street Pastor. Alongside our team that patrols the streets, we also have a team of Prayer Pastors who stay at our base and pray whilst the Street Pastors are out.”

HOW WERE THE BRISTOL STREET PASTORS ESTABLISHED?

“A member of a local church in Clifton visited Newport and took notice of the Newport Street Pastors, who at the time, had been operating in the city for a few years. Upon returning to Bristol, they were keen to join the Bristol Street Pastors but discovered there was no initiative here. They liaised with local churches to discuss establishing the Bristol Street Pastors and held an inaugural meeting at Victoria Methodist Church which had lots of interest. They then got in touch with The Ascension Trust, who are the Street Pastors governing body, who then established the initiative here in Bristol.

We received 6 months of intensive training before we went out on the streets. This included everything from first aid and water safety to drug and alcohol awareness. Every Street Pastor must complete this training before they can patrol the streets.”

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INVOLVED?

“Years ago, there was an incident involving my son. He went for a night out in Stokes Croft and whilst in a local chip shop, a girl came in covered in blood. He went over to help and the next thing he knew, he was dragged out of the shop by a group of people and beaten to a pulp. If I can stop that happening to one person and stop that call to their parents, I’ve done my job. That’s what motivates me.”

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR HIGHS AND LOWS OVER THE YEARS?

“Being a Street Pastor is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ve made some wonderful, lifelong friends, and we really do have a good time while we’re out. We take the role seriously but we also laugh a lot and have a lot of fun. The more we can have fun, the better we can transfer that happiness onto other people. Some of my most memorable moments include a drunken marriage proposal, dancing with buskers, and simply getting to know people and their stories.

In terms of lows, we have dealt with our fair share of rude and aggressive people over the years. Sometimes it can be scary, we can feel threatened, and sometimes people have been violent towards us. As team leader, I take it upon myself to check in on the team and hold a debrief after every session, especially if anything significant has happened. We have seen the city change a lot over the last 11 years. It’s still as loud and busy, but there isn’t as much trouble on the streets.”

HOW DO YOU WORK ALONGSIDE LOCAL GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS?

“We are really lucky to have great working relationships with local organisations, including Avon & Somerset Police, who truly value what we do.

We have positive relationships with lots of local pubs and clubs, including their door staff and security. As we’ve been operating for over a decade, lots of venues across the city know who we are and what we do and they support that. Some even have collection boxes for the Street Pastors in their bar.

We are also part of the Bristol City Centre Radio Scheme, linking to Bristol City Council’s Operation Centre, making sure we’re in the know about what’s going on in the city and can get in touch for help when we need it.

We also have a great relationship with Bristol City Centre BID who provide us with funding, allowing us to go out and provide support to those who need it.”

To learn more about the Bristol Street Pastors visit their website or Facebook page for the latest updates. If you are a church member and want to get involved in the initiative, please get in touch with the Bristol Street Pastors.

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