Create in me a clean heart

I became a Street Pastor about 3 years ago and I’ve been meaning to write about it for a while. We’re all Christian volunteers from around Manchester and twice a month a small group of us go walkabout around the city centre taking in Piccadilly Gardens, the Northern Quarter and the Printworks. We stay out until 2am and that’s long enough after a day at work. Things in the city centre get a bit more feisty after that but we’re there to offer pastoral care and deal with the little stuff like helping people who are lost, upset or drunk; mostly drunk to be honest. We’ve had training to make us aware of our own safety, to get to know our patch and its issues as well as how to deal with some situations but we’re not first aiders or trained in managing major incidents. We’re just sober caring individuals, like reassuring Aunties and Uncles, gently guiding people in the right direction to stay safe and that direction is usually homewards via the taxi rank.

One of the appeals of the role is that anything can happen in the city centre, such as the famous scene at Shudehill below one New Year’s Eve. This is an area we know well, I wasn’t there and I’m not sure if the City Centre Street Pastors were out that night either, but they were out on the New Year’s Eve just gone. I last went out on “Mad Friday” defined as the last Friday before Christmas and it turned out to be uneventful with the door staff we spoke to much more concerned about the Saturday evening with football matches through the day and a boxing match at the arena bringing in more ‘busy-ness’.

On that subdued Mad Friday I met the photographer, Joel, who took the photo hanging around the Printworks along with a couple of his colleagues, sadly for them there was nothing to see or capture other than some guy who got a bit upset about being photographed urinating in public.

Last New Year’s Eve there was an incident around Victoria station with a couple of members of the public and a police officer being attacked by someone with a knife. The Street Pastors along with other volunteers such as the Village Angels attend the Police briefing at 10pm mostly for our own safety and to be aware of what is going on around the city. So at last Friday’s briefing there were a few terror threats to be considered and it was useful to be aware of extra things to keep an eye out for.

Street Pastors are there to care and listen. Depending on where we operate the needs differ but I feel my primary role is looking out for those who have had too much to drink and either to guide them homewards or stay with them to ensure they’re safe. We’re famous for giving out flip flops to ladies struggling around on high heels and a little bit more wobbly than they were at the start of the evening or to protect the bare feet of those who have already removed their shoes. There’s bits of directing people, reuniting friends, finding taxis, watching out for unmarked taxi like vehicles and picking up bottles and glasses before they are accidentally or intentionally broken. We certainly don’t preach (I wouldn’t know where to start) but as we’re all Christian volunteers our motivations are questioned and we can quite naturally talk about what our faith means to us.

We’re there for everybody and check in with some people sleeping rough, we have some regulars we speak to but we try to keep moving and cover some ground though at a very steady pace. We walk through Piccadilly Gardens and sometimes talk to those lingering around that area, whatever their intentions. We’re not working for or with the Police but know some of what goes on. The key is to look everyone in the eye, not to judge them and give everyone an opportunity to engage with you. Some of the conversations are quite surprising.

Every night is different, if there’s nobody needing help then it can drag but knowing that last Friday would be quiet I chose to start more conversations than usual and particularly with the guys enticing punters into the bars and clubs of the Northern Quarter. The first girl was a part-time barmaid, and full time chemistry student sent out in the cold for 15 minutes to coax people into her bar with free shots. She asked me what we were doing and the obvious reply was that we were looking out for people who have had too many free shots 😉  The 2nd guy was a freelance marketeer and again he was curious as to what we were doing. He had natural patter (I could learn a lot from him) and he works other parts of the city by day as a charity Chugger and I suggested he should join us but warned that it didn’t pay too well. Further along Thomas street we met Bronte who was on her first night of promotion, handing out fliers until 3am with no gloves on, so one of the Pastors passed on her gloves which Bronte appreciated.

We made our way towards St Ann’s sq where we usually check in for a mid patrol hot chocolate talking to door staff and some of the evening’s drinkers along the way. I struck up a conversation with an older guy carrying a rucksack and a small guitar case. I asked about the instrument and he explained he plays a half size guitar because he travels a lot and it’s more portable. He was heading up to Glasgow on the Megabus at some point over the weekend (proudly wearing an England beanie hat too!) but as a bit of a walker/wanderer his plans seemed quite ‘fluid’. The rest of the Street Pastors were lagging behind, I was happy to chat as they caught me up and before I knew it he had the guitar in his hand, picking out an unfamiliar tune. “Do you know the 51st Psalm?” he asked – No I don’t, I only know 23, 40 and 121 the one which follows me everywhere I go but I referred him on to Pastor Debbie who I wasn’t surprised to find knew the words. He played, and she sang along in St. Ann’s Square with just the other 4 of us as audience. We all had a coffee together in McDonald’s and he was happy to tell us about his walks over the last 27 years as far north as Dounreay and south to Exmouth often sleeping in church porches, and a meeting with Pete Waterman (a nice guy it would seem). What a character and what a life.

Anything could happen on a night out in Manchester and seeing the city centre through sober eyes is fascinating.  If any of you are in good standing with your church minister and interested in joining us you’d be welcome to come out as an observer one night, that’s what got me hooked.

 

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.