2022 Chief Superintendent’s Commendation In 2022 we were honoured to receive a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation for “outstanding work in the community”

2019 Plymouth receives Purple Flag Status for its safe and vibrant night-time economy; recognising schemes and initiatives such as Best Bar None, Pubwatch, Taxi Marshalls, Street Pastors, Safebus, Ask for Angela, the Drink Spiking initiative etc. The Award has to be applied for every year and Plymouth has kept its Purple Flag status each year since

At the Plymouth Police Commanders Awards Ceremony held in the Guildhall in October, Plymouth Street Pastors were awarded the Plymouth Community Award for their “Support in the community in an exemplary fashion” by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The photo shows both the Award Certificate and the Dartington Crystal award plinth with inset clock.

To celebrate the 10 anniversary since Plymouth St Pastors hit the streets on 23 May 2008, a Thanksgiving Service and Barn Dance was held at Pryzm night club on the 8 June 2018, where Chief Superintendent Dave Thorne presented Plymouth Street Pastors with a Commander’s Commendation in recognition and appreciation of the work we do. The photo shows Roy Beaumont, Coordinator, receiving the award from Dave Thorne (left) with Chris Clewer, Chair of Plymouth St. Pastors’ board

Plymouth’s Inspiring Volunteer Awards, recognize the selfless acts of volunteers in Plymouth. The awards are a partnership with Plymouth Guild (Volunteer Plymouth), Plymouth University and The Herald newspaper, and this year’s ceremony marked the eighth year of inspiration in the city.

February 2016 – Ascension Trust contacted all Street Pastor groups, asking amongst other things, who were our longest serving Prayer Pastors? We replied saying that Val Hart, Mike Soanes and Richard Simpson had been continuously supporting us since our first ever patrol on 23rd May 2008. We were then delighted to find that from all the responses received, they are in fact the longest serving Prayer Pastors in the UK !

This resulted in their being invited to Ascension Trust’s celebration dinner in London, which Val and Mike attended; there they received an award for their services to the ministry, as pictured above, with Val taking the opportunity on stage to tell Les Isaac, CEO of Ascension Trust, that It’s a load of rubbish being given an award for praying !

The importance of all our Prayer Pastors cannot be over-emphasised and, in this context, we would also like to thank and acknowledge:

• Robert and Stella Ashurst and Chris Oppong for their continuous service since just a few months after our launch; and
• Margaret Madavan, who despite having had some months’ break from supporting Section D and later rejoining with Section A, was also one of our original Prayer Pastors

At a glittering ceremony, sponsored by The Herald Newspaper and the City Council, Anne Scarfe was presented with The Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her 24 years of service to the city – well done again Anne!

In November 2013, Anne Scarfe was honoured by Best Magazine with their Bravest Women Award, presented by Nadia Sawalha, one of the hosts of ITV’s Loose Women (photo used by kind permission of Best Magazine/Nicky Johnston)

Anne Scarfe, our 86-year old St Pastor was 2013’s winner of ITV’s Pride of Britain Local Hero award, presented in London by Phillip Schofield and Christine Bleakley, with hostess Carol Vorderman (photo used by kind permission of the Daily Mirror)

The award followed Anne winning the ITV Westcountry award and was in recognition of her work as a St Pastor, with Plymouth’s Soup Run and in Gaffers Gorge, faithfully helping to feed homeless, needy and lonely people in the city.

A string of people also testify to the fact that Anne has been an inspiration and encouragement in their personal lives e.g. while she was serving at the Soup Run one night; one man thanked her because he’d met her 4 years previously, when Anne was on St. Pastor patrol – he was thinking of committing suicide but Anne talked and prayed with him and he changed his mind!

Several videos, from Anne’s nomination film to being interviewed after receiving her award can be seen on http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2013-07-27/pride-of-britain-awards-2013/

After receiving the Order of the British Empire for his work in establishing St. Pastor groups throughout the country, Rev. Les Isaac had this message to all those involved in the movement:

“May I say thank you to you all for your faithful support. It is such a blessing to see and hear what God has done and is continuing to do through us all.

I was deeply honoured to receive an OBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace for the work of Street Pastors and community cohesion. But it is not just a great honour for me. This OBE is for all of us who have worked together to bring peace to our communities. It is a recognition of the hard work and faithful service of all our volunteer Street Pastors out every weekend to listen, care and help in their local communities, and for all those who support and pray for them.

This OBE is also recognition for all our volunteer School and College Pastors, caring for school pupils and college students in 20 locations across our country; and for the 6,000 plus weapons collected in Word 4 Weapons knife bins throughout London.

And this OBE is in recognition of the wider work of Ascension Trust, equipping others to serve together within their local communities. This OBE is truly recognition for us all. I hope and pray that God continues to bless and use us all in the next ten years in the same way that He has already been using us so far.

Once again, may I personally thank you for all your support. Every blessing”

Whilst we do not look for recognition per se, in 2011 we were invited to enter The Inspiring Volunteer of the Year competition; sponsored by Plymouth Guild and The Herald newspaper. To our delight, we won the Team Award, presented at the awards ceremony in Plymouth’s Roland Levinsky building

Across the country St. Pastor groups continue to win awards – see – http://www.streetpastors.org/category/awards/