Kent Street Pastors Celebration - Monday, November 21, 2011   At the celebration of Street Pastors in Kent and Medway at Kent Police College, Maidstone each Street Pastors group was presented with a Chief Constable's Certificate of Appreciation. Welcome was given by Chief Supt Mark Nottage, representing the Chief Constable, and Mr Mike Hill OBE, representing the Kent Police Authority. Rev Les Isaac, founder of Street Pastors spoke and the High Sheriff of Kent, Ms Georgie Warner, attended as well as a number of senior police officers. There was also a discussion exploring potential benefits of a network between the Street Pastor organisations in Kent, whilst continuing to ensure the work is focused locally. Chief Inspector Lee Russell said: "the numbers who attended and the whole energy made for an uplifting evening". L-R: A Kent Street Pastor rep.; PC Geoff Pain - Kent Police; Chief Inspector Lee Russell - Kent Police lead for Street Pastors and Secretary of the Kent Christian Police Association; Mr Bryn Price - CEO of the Kent People's Trust (who have funded many of the SP Groups in Kent); Chief Superintendent Neil Jerome - Divisional Commander; Les Isaac: Chief Superintendent Mark Nottage - Divisional Commander; Detective Inspector Barry Knott - Chair of the Kent Christian Police Association; Detective Inspector Mike Coltham - Deputy Chair of the Kent Christian Police Association.

Rowan Williams suggests leaders should do some street pastoring - Friday, April 22, 2011   The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has said on BBC Radio 4's Thought For The Day that all leaders needed to be reminded about the needs of less fortunate people. "What about having a new law that made all Cabinet members and leaders of political parties, editors of national papers and the hundred most successful financiers in the UK spend a couple of hours every year serving dinners in a primary school on a council estate? "Or cleaning bathrooms in a residential home? Walking around the streets of a busy town at night as a Street Pastor, ready to pick up and absorb something of the chaos and human mess?"

Sharing Hope in Crisis Seminar - April 2, Cardiff - Wednesday, February 16, 2011 One of the aims of the Sharing Hope In Crisis Seminar is to "train and develop church members and those who have a ministry calling to support others i.e. Street Pastors, Chaplains." The next seminar is to be held in Cardiff on 2nd April 2011. More... Street Pastor Johnson Olajide has recently returned from Haiti where he worked with earthquake victims as part of a Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "I attended a BGEA RRT ‘Sharing Hope in Crisis’ Seminar in London in 2010 and one of the video clips I saw from Haiti, moved me to tears. Since then I began praying that God would open doors of opportunity for me to support people in need, but I needed to pray how that was going to happen. I also became part of the RRT as a Response Chaplain and have just returned from working as a RRT Chaplain in Haiti for two weeks, we saw great revival emerging amongst His people there amidst all the hurt and pain since the earthquake and cholera outbreak." Read more about their trip here.

Street Pastors praised in Home Office Report - Wednesday, February 02, 2011 The Street Pastors initiative is cited as a good example of street-based work in the newly released Home Office report "Tackling Knife Crime Together" by actress Brooke Kinsella whose brother Ben was stabbed and killed in 2008. The report makes a number of recommendations including anti-knife crime presentations for school children, more data sharing between police, schools and other agencies on local issues, a best practice website for local organisations, and more work with young children to stop them getting involved in knife crime. "I visited a Manchester scheme and took part in a late night walk with the street team. I was amazed at how many people they knew, how much information was passed on to them and what a difference they made. Estates that used to be notorious for crime and anti-social behaviour were now quiet and peaceful, doors were actually left open for the street pastors to come in and have a cup of tea and a chat, and even local shop owners got involved by building relationships and imparting knowledge. The street pastors work closely with the police, drug action teams and local authorities to use their expertise and knowledge to achieve their aim of having a calming influence on their community. Their success is demonstrated by the young people whose lives they have turned around." (page 5-6). BBC News Report

Street Pastor in aid team to Haiti. - Monday, January 10, 2011 A London Street Pastor, Johnson Oladije, who is also a member of a Billy Graham Rapid Response Team will be flying out to Haiti in mid-January. This is the latest of a series of visits from RRTs to the island since the devastating earthquake in January 2010. Follow the link to get updates on their progress.

Afghanistan Veteran thanks Street Pastors - Friday, September 24, 2010 Sir, Within the last 30 minutes I have been subjected to loutish street behaviour that has no place in a modern society and was bravely prevented by the presence of a Street Pastor. As I was walking home up Lincoln High Street, I was accosted by a youth asking for directions to a nightclub.  His manner was threatening and abusive.  I declined to offer directions and was therefore subjected to a tirade of foul abuse from the youth and his friends.  I responded by continuing on my way and proffering my miniature umbrella as a form of defence against his advances.  The group of youths in question then decided that I had been 'disrespectful' and seemed to want to fight me.  Assuming that they were drunk, I offered them the 'out' of moving on.  They were not content with this, and without the professional intervention of the Street Pastor, things could have turned ugly as I was not prepared to be intimidated by a group of adolescents and I was prepared to stand and fight if necessary (I am an Afghanistan Veteran and wholly accustomed to violence, death and destruction) I am sorry to confirm that a 44 year old man cannot walk home alone up Lincoln High Street at midnight on a Thursday without vile abuse.  These idiotic children were from _____.   The whole county needs to know that loutish behaviour will not be tolerated and that low class dunderheads of this group will not be tolerated. The Street Pastor was magnificent Yours, a saddened and disappointed resident

Street Pastors cited in Government speech on the role of Faith - Tuesday, September 21, 2010 Baroness Farsi, Chair of the Conservative Party made a speech concerning the importance the new Coalition Government places on religion, saying that it "'understands' faith and wanted religious groups to play a greater and more prominent role in Britain, including the provision of public services." This was widely reported in the press and on TV including her specific mention of Street Pastors as an example of faith being "alive and kicking" in the UK. "When you think about it, it's incredible that many people of faith give up their evenings to work as street pastors, making sure that young men are less at risk of knife crime and young women less likely to run into trouble after a night out." Full Daily Telegraph article.

Street Pastors Coordinators' Conference - Saturday, July 24, 2010 In July 2010 the Street Pastor Coordinators came together for a conference at St Mark's Church, Kennington in London.

Street Pastors National Prayer Week, October 24-31 - Tuesday, June 08, 2010   There will be a week of prayer for the Nation, based on the extensive network of Street Pastor projects, for the week commencing 24th-31st October 2010. Download a leaflet here.   The focus will be asking for God to bless our Nation using the lines from the Lord’s prayer “Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven”.  If each Street Pastors initiative could focus on something ‘prayer-wise’ that week, most of our Nation would be covered in prayer. I am also in the process of contacting other prayer ministries around the country to ask them to join in with us. I will send out some prayer ideas at a later date but in the meantime, if you have any ideas for prayer events or things you would like to do in your own area please do email me to let me know so I can share them with other groups. Please feel free to let other people know within your networks; the more people praying the better!  If you have a local area Prayer Coordinator please forward this message to them for further contact. Blessings Mrs Wendy Thomas - National Prayer Coordinator for Street Pastors. More...

Cheltenham Street Pastors Save Lives - Friday, February 05, 2010 This was the headline in the Gloucestershire Echo, reporting on the rescue of two men by Cheltenham Street Pastors who had fallen unconscious in a doorway after drinking too much. It was the early hours of the Sunday morning after the Saturday night before and the temperature was -6 degrees. Click here for the full story.

Street Pastors Conference - Saturday, November 14, 2009 The first national Street Pastors practitioners conference took place in November 2009. follow the link below for the Conference Report and more photographs. More...

New Street Pastors book by Les Isaac - Thursday, October 29, 2009 STREET PASTORS Just six years ago a small group of faith-filled Christians took to the crime-ridden streets of Brixton in London. Now over 250 teams serve their communities all over Britain, involving more than three thousand Christians. More projects are starting all the time, and enquiries come from all over the world, because of course Britain is not alone in its struggles with gun and knife crime, binge drinking, gang culture, loneliness, violence, and fear. Founder of the initiative, Les Isaac tells this compelling story and points out the benefits for Christian mission and unity. Available from November from Amazon or from Ascension Trust. Email or phone 0208 330 2809 for details. Also available: RELEVANT CHURCH - A GOD-GIVEN GOAL by Les Isaac This book speaks from the heart about the Church's civic duty to impact communities. It's pages barely contain Les Isaac's excitement that God is challenging the Church to be a powerful catalyst for social action. Isaac's radical nationwide initiative, Street Pastors, is helping the Church to do just that. "Insightful, informative, provocative, 'Relevant Church' is a must for church leaders and believers with a heart to reach their communities with a message of love and hope." Joseph Boadu, Senior Minister of Christian Life Fellowship, London. Available from Ascension Trust, price £7 inc. p&p. Email or phone 0208 330 2809 for details. Also available from Amazon.

Thank you Street Pastors - Sunday, September 06, 2009 Hi There My 20 year old daughter is in her 3rd year at Chester Uni training to be a Children's Nurse. Last night she went out into Wrexham with 3 of her friends to celebrate passing all her exams and assignments and to look forward to her last and final year of training. On leaving the nightclub in the 'early hours', the 4 girls were all 'shoe-less' from dancing and celebrating all night, and all a little 'worse for wear'! This morning she presented me with a pair of purple flip flops, she told me that when the girls left the club they were greeted by some Christians, who gave them the flip flops to walk to the taxi rank, fastened their shoes around their necks and were 'very kind'. I am writing to say THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your Street Pastor Scheme is fantastic, it is really making a difference. As an ordinary Mum, it is so refreshing and reassuring to know that there are kind genuine people out there who are keeping our children safe. (Mums worry so much, my baby may be 20, she is embarking on a professional career with sick children, however as an intelligent, beautiful young woman, when alcohol is involved she and her friends are all 'at risk'). The Street Pastor Scheme is absolutely wonderful and I am extremely grateful. Please send me an address where I can send a donation for 4 pairs of purple flip flops! Yours sincerely Carole Bie (Mrs)