The Bristol Street Pastors is a local Christian charity set up by the Ascension Trust. The volunteers play an active part in improving the safety of streets at night. They provide a judgement-free, caring service working with other city stakeholders to make communities safer. Bristol City Centre BID provides funding for the Bristol Street Pastors to operate.
In Bristol, the Street Pastor team patrol the city centre areas such as Park Street, Queens Road and The Triangle, The Harbourside, The Old City, Kings Street, Welsh Back and Baldwin Street on most Saturday Nights. They will stop to help people who may have drunk too much, provide first aid care, offer advice, or help revellers get a taxi home. This support is often greatly appreciated by the public.
During 2022 the teams venturing out at night helped 228 individuals and handed out 96 bottles of water and 95 flipflops. They also pick up a large amount of discarded glass bottles from the street and put them in bins, keeping the streets tidy and safe from broken glass.
MARTIN, STREET PASTOR
‘We judge nobody and help anyone that needs it. We believe passionately that what we do makes Bristol on a Saturday night a kinder place. We had many laughs and jokes with stag and hen nights and seen many young people having a great time. Some of our Street Pastors have danced with the crowd wanting to dance, sung with those singing or busking. We have consoled those in tears, patched up one or two cuts. I always remind myself that each person in need is someone’s son or daughter – someone’s grandson or granddaughter. I would love to think someone will be there for my daughters if they are ever in need on the streets late at night.’
Radio Scheme around Bristol city centre
The Street Pastors hold radios that make up part of the Bristol City Centre Radio Scheme, that links in with the Council’s Operation Centre and businesses in the city centre. Businesses can use these radios to contact the street pastors if they require their support and vice versa. Many door staff hold these radios at night.
HELEN HARRISON, CO-CHAIR OF BRISTOL STREET PASTORS
It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. There’s a real sense of contentment from helping people.
Volunteering for the Bristol Street Pastors
The Street Pastors would love to be able to start going out on Friday evenings too, but at the moment they don’t have enough volunteers to do so. If you know of anyone who would be interested in becoming in a Street Pastor, please enquire here.
