8th February 2018

Lancashire church supports work of city Street Pastors

Parishioners at St John Baptist parish church in Broughton welcomed Preston Street Pastor Dave Brown to their recent Sunday service and presented him with the proceeds of an Advent Appeal to support the work of the city’s Street Pastors.

During the service Dave spoke about the work and ministry of the Street Pastors.

He said: “Street Pastors are trained volunteers from local churches who care about our community. We patrol from 8pm to midnight on Friday nights in the St Matthew’s and New Hall Lane area of Preston. We spend time with young people on the estates, and call into the shops, takeaways, pubs and clubs to chat with local people. All the time we’re looking out for anyone in need.

“On Saturday nights we patrol from 10.30pm to 3.30am in the city centre. We ensure the homeless are looked after and know where to go to find help, and we spend time with young people enjoying a night out in the pubs and clubs, helping everyone to stay safe.”

Rev Rie Walker, curate at Broughton parish, came up with the idea of an Advent Appeal after hearing Dave Brown speak at a meeting of Church Leaders last November. She invited parishioners to pray for the Street Pastors and donate woolly hats, gloves and scarves to support their work.

Rev Walker said today: “The response from parishioners to the Advent Appeal was tremendous. The Street Pastors have been at the heart of our prayers, and hundreds of gloves, hats and scarves were donated.

“Some were made into Advent Wreathes that were displayed in our parish church and two chapels to remind us that as we celebrated gift of Jesus at Christmas, we can be generous in our giving to those who need it most. I’m also really heartened that some parishioners are now thinking about volunteering as Street Pastors after hearing Dave speak.”

For more information about the work of Preston Street Pastors, including how to volunteer and offer other support, contact Dave Brown at https://streetpastors.org/locations/preston