Street Pastors is an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and dialogue.

Each city project is set up by Ascension Trust and run by a local coordinator with support from Ascension Trust and local churches and community groups, in partnership with Police, Council and other statutory agencies.

You can find more information about the initiative on the following website:www.streetpastors.org.uk

Teams of Street Pastors have been working in Fair Oak and Eastleigh for the past 3-4 years. In July 2010 approximately 40 new Street Pastors from the borough completely their training. The new Street Pastors have helped form teams in Hedge End, West End and Botley, and Chandler’s Ford as well as adding additional members to the growing Fair Oak and Eastleigh teams.

Here is a reflection by Jenny Phillips, a new Street Pastor in Chandler’s Ford, on her experiences over the first six months. If her story inspires you to find out more than you can contact the Chandler’s Ford Street Pastors’ Co-ordinator, Paul Smith, on this email address: chandlersford@streetpastors.org.uk

My Street Pastor Experiences in Chandler’s Ford

After a comprehensive and thought-provoking three month training course, the newly qualified teams of Street Pastors were ready to ‘hit the streets’ of Chandler’s Ford on Friday evenings.

Filled with great hopes of helping to bring our local community closer together by reaching out to our young people and showing them that we care about their well-being and have respect for their goals and aspirations in life, we ventured out team by team for the first time at the beginning of July.

The first time I went out I was filled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension, keen to put my newly-gained knowledge to good use and ready to listen rather than to talk.  I was wary of the reception we would have, not only from the youngsters, but from the community as a whole.   I suppose my biggest fear was whether I would be adequate to the task, but I felt God’s presence and was confident he would be there with us, guiding and protecting.

Right from the start we were received by most of the people we met with great enthusiasm and respect and we were very quickly accepted by the young people gathering on the streets as ‘friends’ they could talk to about issues with the police, problems with peers and parents and dilemmas with such things as alcohol, education and job opportunities. 

The most common question I think we still get asked even now, having been out there every Friday since July, is “Why do you do this if you don’t get paid for it?”  The young people we meet seem interested to understand our reasons for being there, the driving force behind what we are doing and have respect for our endeavours.  Of course there are problems with such things as under-age drinking and run-ins between police and groups of youngsters out enjoying themselves, but whatever the problems we try to diffuse difficult situations, ensure the safety of any vulnerable young people and simply be there as a calming influence.

I believe the majority of young people we meet out on a Friday night just want to ‘hang out’ with their friends and enjoy their evening out.  They are not intent on causing trouble to other members of the community and they seem to have welcomed the presence of Street Pastors in the area.  I sincerely hope and pray that we can build on the positive beginning to this new initiative in Chandler’s Ford and make some real headway in improving the harmony between the different age groups within our community.

Jenny Phillips

26.11.10