Telford Street Pastor service celebrates 13th anniversary

A street pastor founded in 2011 is celebrating his 13th year supporting people in need around Telford city center at night.

Vicki Brain, from Telford Street Pastors in Shropshire, said it was a late celebration as the 10th anniversary fell during the pandemic and they had not celebrated it until now.

Three more pastors will be appointed on Friday.

“I think it has made a huge difference,” she said.

She said: “We’re going out on Saturday evening to central Telford, but also to Wellington and also Newport, anywhere in Telford and Wrekin.”

“We talk to people, we’re just friendly to people, but we’re constantly looking out for anyone who needs help.

‘That could be because they’ve had too much to drink, for example, or because they’ve lost their friends, or because they’re staying in a hotel in Telford and don’t know which hotel to go back to. all kinds of things happening at that time of night.

“Sometimes you just talk to people who need to unburden themselves about the problems in their lives.”

The group has done that in the past helped combat the sexual exploitation of childrenfollowing a grooming scandal in Telford that saw seven men jailed in 2012.

The group had also helped reduce anti-social behaviour, Ms Brain said.

She said: “We are absolutely not the police. We’re not there to get people in trouble or discipline them in any way, but I think it’s that kind of influence. It tends to change behavior.”

She said they were always looking for more volunteers.