We patrolled nine times during April and May 2023.
One of our teams visited Sweatbox Youth Centre and spent time chatting with the young people and staff. The same night we cleared up a lot of broken glass in the Undercroft Car Park – our kit bag includes a dustpan and brush for this reason.
Another team met a young man who was keen to tell us how much of a positive influence one of our Street Pastors had been on him. We walked with him to the bus stop where he met two other men, but things became antagonistic between them, a skirmish broke out and a bottle was smashed. We helped calm things down and cleared up the glass as best we could and the two men went their way. Unfortunately, one returned and attacked the man who had chatted to us. At this point we called the police but the assailant made a hasty exit. The police spent some time with the injured man and encouraged him to get his wounds looked at.
In Wantage we met a man who was trying to get back into a venue having been removed earlier in the evening. He wanted to speak to his friends who he had left behind. We encouraged him to walk away and we stayed with him chatting as we walked. We gave him a space blanket to help keep him warm while he waited at the bus stop and we kept our eye on him throughout the rest of the evening.
On another occasion we met a lady who had been removed from one of the nighttime venues in Wantage but was desperate to use the toilet. We spoke to the door staff on her behalf, escorted her back in and waited where we would be able to ensure that she left the building after using the facilities.