It was the Street Pastors annual celebration on Wednesday night (15 July, 2015) at the Manana Manana Club in Doncaster.

Dr Alan Billings, the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, called in to the celebration, attended by Street Pastors from Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield and Doncaster, to present them with a cheque for £8,000.

The cheque is for grant funding from the Commissioner’s 2015/16 Community Grant Scheme and is to help the organisation continue with the work they do on weekend evenings helping the police keep young people safe as they enjoy the county’s night-life.

He said: “The work these people do on a Friday and Saturday evening is outstanding.  Young people are out in our town and city centres, enjoying themselves in the pubs and clubs until the very early hours of the morning.  Street Pastors are all volunteers who go out on the streets in all weathers armed with flip-flops, lollies and water ready to take care of any who may be a little worse for wear by the end of the night.

“I have heard stories of the gratitude young women show in being offered flip-flops after a night dancing in very high heels and how the volunteers help arrange transport after mobile phones have been lost or people are too intoxicated to arrange transport themselves.

“South Yorkshire’s Street Pastors, working closely with the police, do a wonderful job and after years of operating are an integral part of the night-time economy.”

Street Pastors is a uniformed, Christian organisation with trained volunteers who patrol on a Friday and Saturday evening from 10pm to 4am.  The volunteers are clearly identified and go out on the streets to help, care and listen to people who are enjoying the facilities of the night time economy.  They care for those who are rendered vulnerable through excessive alcohol or drug intake.

All Street Pastors are fully trained and their presence has a calming effect on the streets, in situations which could potentially escalate into violence, antisocial behaviour and further dangers for the vulnerable people.  They remove potential weapons from the streets and signpost to other agencies as appropriate.

Street Pastors also offer water to reduce the effect of alcohol on individuals, clean up any sick and ensure nobody is left alone whilst they are in a vulnerable state.