Partygoers get helping hand
"STREET pastas? You'd do a better trade if you did food," quipped a hungry female reveller as we strolled down Penny Street with four of Lancaster's street pastors.
But as I watched the pastors engage with a number of people over the course of the night, I concluded they were undeserving of such cynicism, however good humoured.
Those in need of help could not have been more grateful. To others the pastors are now familiar faces and are treated like something approaching local celebrities.
Even those who did not require assistance politely declined. It helped of course that we did not encounter any booze-fuelled fracas and I was surprised to learn that team leader Steve Bland had yet to come across a fight.
"I've not felt unsafe or had any serious aggro," says Steve, a driving instructor who attends Father's House in Scotforth which is part of the Elim Pentecostal Church.
"There are more than 700 street pastors across the country but apparently none have ever been injured.
"It's probably because of the way we respond to people - we're not in your face."
The Ascension Trust, a Christian organisation, started the scheme in 1993 and now has teams in places including Leicester, Wrexham and Halifax.
The Lancaster scheme - funded through personal donations, and contributions from local churches and the police - has 14 volunteers, four of who go out each Saturday from about 10.30pm.
Tonight, Steve is accompanied by Gill Bickerstaffe, Pam Jones and Kath Willis.
Wearing blue caps and sweaters bearing the words 'Street Pastor', the team are equipped with blankets, bottled water, soup, sick bags, a first aid kit and blue flip flops for women whose high heeled shoes are hurting.
"We chat to people more than anything and as the night goes on we will help people who are a bit worse for wear to get a taxi," explains Steve as we begin our rounds.
"Sometimes they will actually talk to you a bit about some of the issues in their lives and you are able to pray with them.
"It's quite amazing when people find out you're a Christian how many of them want to talk about God and have a spiritual understanding even if they are not religious themselves."
The first person we encounter is a homeless woman in a Penny Street doorway. The pastors buy her chips from a nearby takeaway.
"They are good people from what I've seen of them," she says.
We head in the direction of Kentucky Fried Chicken and chat to the doormen at the Lounge bar. They are familiar with the pastors, who are connected to the same radio communication system as themselves and the police to allow information to be shared.
"There are guys who want to fight us but the pastors have a word with them and they say 'you've got a point'," one of the doormen, Dave Taylor tells me.
"They are better than the coppers in that respect!"
As we head back into the centre we are approached by three girls just getting into the swing of a night out.
One does a double take after spotting the pastors' uniforms.
"What's a street pastor?" she asks curiously. Steve explains and the trio cannot contain their admiration.
"That's really nice," says Vicki Gough, who posed the question.
Another, Catherine Gunby says: "They should do this all over the country, it's so cool. We would definitely accept an offer of help later on!"
As the night wears on the pastors hand out their first pair of flip flops to a woman who has taken off her painful heels.
She worries about how they will look with her tights but decides they are a better option than the cold ground.
We make our way down North Road, where there is a long queue for the Toast nightclub, and come across another homeless person, Nick, in a doorway.
Steve offers him a cup of homemade beef and vegetable soup from his Thermos flask.
"The street pastors are the best, they really do everything they can to look after us," says Nick, who has been on the streets for 18 months.
As we walk back towards the centre, Gill tells me about the reasons she became a pastor.
"I have two sons aged 29 and 19 and I'm concerned when they go into town drinking," she says.
"I would like to think there would be people in town to look out for them if they were the worse for drink.
"I still get a bit nervous at the beginning of the night but I relax into it and I love it."
We bump into Sgt James Martin, who is enthusiastic about the pastors' contribution.
"It's an alternative to the police uniform," he says. "Sometimes the disputes we deal with can be handled in other ways and some people do not want to talk to a police officer in uniform."
In Thurnham Street and Dalton Square the pastors remove an empty pint glass from the window sill of a carpet store and then beer and vodka bottles for fear they could be used as weapons.
As they prepare to head back to their base at the Methodist Church in Sulyard Street for soup we say our thanks and farewells and leave to reflect on a good-humoured and always interesting experience.
Now might be the time for that pasta, I think, but as far as these dedicated volunteers are concerned I hope it will be a case of 'pastor la vista'
Anyone interested in volunteering should email lancaster@streetpastors.org.uk
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Weather for Lancaster
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
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