During February there were:

• 2 Friday night patrols and 3 Saturday night patrols
• 5 Patrols totalling 22 hours of cover involving 16 Street Pastors
• 4 pairs of flip-flops given and 7 bottles of water
• 240 lollies and Love Hearts given

Here are some of the ways Street Pastors cared, listened and helped in February:

• Helped an elderly man who had fallen over
• Cared for a young man together with his friends
• Returned a lost phone and wallet to their rightful owner
• Kept an eye out for a lost dog

A car pulled up next to one of our teams and a couple asked if we could keep an eye out for a lost dog. Later in the evening a second couple asked us the same thing. We didn’t find the dog, but we hope someone did!

One night we found a lost phone and wallet. As we stood wondering how to get it back to its owner, the phone rang. The person on the other end asked ‘who are you?’ and so we explained that we were Street Pastors and had found the phone and wallet. With the help of the caller – a friend of the owner, we were able to re-unite the phone and wallet to a very grateful young lady.

Right at the end of their patrol our team met a group of three young men who were supporting a fourth man who had had too much to drink. We gave a bottle of water that was gratefully received and stayed with them while they decided what they were going to do with their drunk friend. The drunk man didn’t want to go in a taxi and was insistent on walking home. Our team walked with them for much of the way until it was clear that they could make good progress on their own.

One of our teams offered help to an older man who was staggering about in town with the aid of a walking stick. Our help was declined, but we ran to his aid after he fell while standing in a doorway – having let go of his walking stick. Thinking that he had probably relieved himself, our team (now wearing gloves) got the man to his feet and bravely assisted with doing his belt up. Unfortunately, it took two more falls and two more attempts at getting the belt buckle in the right hole before the man’s trousers were adequately secured and he was able to make his way home in moderate safety.