During September there were:

• 3 Friday night patrols
• 3 Saturday night patrols
• 6 Patrols totalling 31 hours of cover involving 21 Street Pastors
• 12 pairs of flip-flops given, 300 lollies and Love Hearts

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

• Spent time with groups of young people in Wantage and Grove
• Looked out for a man
• Walked a young lady home
• Cleared broken glass and other litter in Grove and Wantage

Several of our teams visit Grove each month and tour round to different areas including the skate park, Savile Way shops, Millbrook shops, Mary Green Park and the Old Mill Hall. We also stop by at The Bay Tree and The Bell pubs, occasionally chatting to people outside. In September we met a group of young people sheltering from the rain under the skate park. We spent some time chatting with them and gave lollies and plenty of bottles of water. We also spent time with a small group of young people in Wantage that told us how their exams had gone and what they were doing at college.

A lady approached one of our teams and asked us to keep an eye out for her partner who had got locked out of home and had wandered off. Another of our teams had been chatting to a young lady and two men; at the end of the conversation the men left to go home in one direction and the lady in the opposite direction. We offered to walk home with the lady, which she was very grateful for even though it wasn’t far.

We often clear away bottles, cans, litter and broken glass whenever we find it. We cleared large amounts of broken glass at the bus stop in Wantage and at the skate park in Grove. Of course, at night it’s difficult to pick it all up so we keep an eye out for anyone walking barefoot and ensure that they take a pair of flip-flops. Not only is it more comfortable for them but also helps prevent injury and an early-hours hospital visit!