Town Council support Street Pastor scheme for Warminster

Town Councillors

gave their unanimous support to setting up a Street Pastor Scheme for

Warminster at their meeting last week.

There are 200 such schemes, using 4,000

volunteers, already operating in the UK,

including Trowbridge and Swindon.

 The idea, which is

supported by local police, came from the Revd Harvey Gibbons, rector of Warminster’s

Minster Church of St Denys, who would like to see the scheme  run by Churches Together

in Warminster and the Ascension Trust and in partnership with the Home Office.

Street Pastors are trained to work in teams patrolling the streets in the

vicinity of pubs and clubs, while others staff a local base.  The 50 hour long training programme which provides a uniform and has

a strong safety record, is operated by the Ascension Trust and costs in the

region of £300 per volunteer.

 To take part in the Scheme volunteers should be committed Christians

and have been a part of a church or fellowship for a year.  They will be trained to care, listen and help

those who have found themselves disenfranchised or marginalised from society,

particularly young people; to get to know the community; to build relationships

and to be a listening ear, a helping hand and a presence to listen and offer

practical help.

Councillors heard that this approach to dealing with

anti-social behaviour in the community was in support of the newly-granted Designated

Public Place Order and the Community Support workers from the Youth Centre, and

would also be supported by CCTV.  Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)

checks would be carried out on all volunteers, who should be 18 years old and

over.