{"id":64709,"date":"2022-03-18T15:10:33","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T15:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=64709"},"modified":"2022-06-12T19:49:34","modified_gmt":"2022-06-12T18:49:34","slug":"spending-a-night-on-patrol-with-cardiffs-street-pastors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2022\/03\/18\/spending-a-night-on-patrol-with-cardiffs-street-pastors\/","title":{"rendered":"Spending a night on patrol with Cardiff’s Street Pastors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Packing tissues, water, sick bowls and flip-flops the volunteers help keep the city’s nightlife safe<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

FOLLOWING three Street Pastors as they push an unconscious man in a wheelchair through a closed St David\u2019s Centre at 1AM is not how I usually spend my Friday nights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this Friday night happened to be one of Cardiff\u2019s busiest. With masses of French and Welsh rugby fans emptied onto streets from the Principality stadium, I was neither celebrating nor commiserating as I accompanied the Street Pastors.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set up in London in 2003 by Reverend Les Isaac OBE and run by the Ascension Trust, the Street Pastors<\/a> organisation has trained over 14,000 volunteers across the UK with the aim of caring, listening and helping those who are out on the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the words of David Burrowes, former MP for Enfield Southgate and patron of the Ascension Trust: \u201cStreet Pastors is about Christians rolling up their sleeves and getting involved in practically responding to the problems of crime and safety.\u201d 
 
Rolling up my sleeves and getting involved, albeit in a high vis jacket and at a distance, I accompanied three Street Pastors from 10pm to 4am as they patrolled the streets of Cardiff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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