Bringing a smile to people on the late-night streets of Ryde are, from left, Sue, Don, and Kenneth. Picture by Laura Holme.
WIGHT LIVINGTHE behaviour of some of the revellers who descended on the pubs and clubs of the Island over the long Easter weekend was less than Godly — in what was a dress rehearsal for a repeat performance that starts tonight.
But there is Christian goodwill out there on the streets that is making a real difference as the Island gears up for summer.
In Ryde and Newport, where most will be out having a good
time, some will find themselves drunk and in trouble, desperate for help.
And, for those who find themselves in such situations, help may come from an unlikely source — a group of Christians on a mission from God.
The Street Pastors, or the "Sweet Pastors" as the kids on the streets call them, are a group of inter-denominational Christian volunteers stepping out of their comfort zone to patrol the Island’s trouble spots in an effort to make the streets safer.
The Street Pastors experiment started in 2003, in Brixton, South London, led by the Rev Les Isaac, in response to escalating urban problems, such as gang culture and drug abuse.
Based on a model from Jamaica, the trials took off in London, Birmingham and Manchester and have now spread throughout the country with more than 280 teams in place.
The man behind the Island’s mission, which started in 2009, is David Ouston.
David, who had been an atheist for 35 years, couldn’t resist the inner call to do God’s work and jumped at the opportunity to lead.
"I was working in a prison at the time, doing music workshops for prisoners. I saw the job for the IW Street Pastor team co-ordinator come up and I felt it was something I really wanted to get involved with. I just felt that inner yearning," said David.
Initially the idea was met with scepticism by police, the council and Island businesses. Many questioned the concept and whether it would work.
"There was a lot of apprehension as we were a faith-based group. People were worried we were going to go out there and hit people over the head with a Bible," said David.
"It was really important for us to build relationships with the community and other partner agencies. I didn’t want us to be just a bunch of do-gooders, I wanted to convey the point we were going to be of real use out on the streets."
And the figures show a sharp cut in crime since they started patrolling.
After their first year, there was a 43 per cent reduction in violent crime in Ryde on a Friday night.
The positive impact hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the team earning praise from police and the Community Safety Partnership.
Partnership chairman Stuart May said: "The Street Pastors have had a positive effect on the issue of alcohol-related crime.
"Their impact has reduced the number of police and ambulance calls to these areas and allows the emergency services to focus on dealing with more serious incidents."
Spending a night on the streets with David and the team, it quickly becomes clear just how big an impact they are making.
When you may have expected tipsy cat-calls and jeers from late-nighters, the pastors are actually met with almost wall-to-wall smiles, handshakes and shouts of approval.
It’s obvious people feel safer, knowing the Pastors are patrolling what can be mean streets.
On patrol on my night was Caroline Baston, the Island’s Anglican archdeacon; Georgie, a special-needs teaching assistant; retired priest Kenneth and Don, the night’s team leader.
These are just four of a team of 38 who readily sacrifice their nights to help the intoxicated, the lonely and those at risk.
Most people would raise an eyebrow at the thought of giving up their social life for others but not these committed individuals.
David explained: "We are doing something meaningful. It doesn’t matter what people believe in, they really appreciate what we do. There is no agenda; we’re just there to be a smiling face. You don’t realise how powerful that can be. It’s refreshing we can go out and be open and people are open to us."
One of the first to be helped that night was a girl standing alone at Ryde train station.
She was waiting for her lift but was scared to be alone. David broke away from the group and stood with her for 45 minutes until her lift came.
On the seafront, a man who had been helped by the team when he was drunk at Cowes Week just wanted to say thanks.
Most of the others were just partygoers or kids wanting a chocolate, which the team hand out to cheer people up, or as a distraction in aggressive situations.
Quite often the role of a pastor is simply about being there in a cheery sort of way.
Sweets are just the start though, with teams freely giving out flips-flops to girls who have lost or broken their shoes, foil blankets to those who aren’t prepared for the late-night cold weather and bottles of water for the dehydrated or those looking to sober up after a big night out.
Last year, the team gave away more than 2,500 bottles of water, 400 pairs of flip-flops, 150 foil blankets, 8,000 chocolates and 1,600 lollipops.
This is an incredible feat, considering the team runs solely on the donations from others — mainly 60 generous individuals who donate a minimum of £10 a month.
This kind of goodwill is at the very heart of the Street Pastors.
They are ordinary people inspired by the belief they are making a difference to people’s lives.
As one reveller put it, chewing a lolly handed to him by David: "I don’t believe in God but I really love what you guys do."
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk