Safer streets with volunteer patrols

Volunteers will be making the streets of Rochdale a safer place to be at night after 15 Street Pastors were commissioned to start patrolling from today (Saturday 9 March).

Founded by Les Isaac in London in 2003, the Street Pastor movement has now spread throughout the country, with several movements already set up in Greater Manchester.

After a rigorous training regime, Rochdale’s Street Pastors will patrol the Kirkholt area every Saturday night.

Coordinater Jean Briggs explained: “Each Street Pastor does in excess of 50 hours training and that includes training given by the police, youth workers, paramedics - that’s quite extensive training.

“They are unpaid volunteers from a variety of churches - there are 15 qualified from nine different churches.

“We walk around and are there to help vulnerable people. If there are people sat at a bus station alone for example we sit with them, making sure that they are safe.

“We can sign post them to different agencies if they need assistance too.”

The 15 volunteers were commissioned during a service earlier this week at St Thomas’ Church, Kirkholt.

They now join other teams from the region including those based in Bury, Eccles, Manchester City Centre, Oldham South, Longsight and Harpurhey as part of Greater Manchester Street Pastors Together.

“It was felt that the town centre needed a street team,” Mrs Briggs explained.

“It is one of many in Greater Manchester. We felt that Rochdale needed one and with guidance from local agencies we were told the Kirkholt area would be the best place to patrol.”

There will also be a team in place to patrol the area on the first Friday of every month, with at least three people going out each time.