THE Okehampton Street Pastors scheme has been hailed a success by several residents and night time businesses.

The pastors, who recently spent their fifth weekend patrolling the streets of Okehampton, have been positively embraced by the town’s night-time community.

Street pastors are trained volunteers from local churches who engage with people on the street and provide them with support.

Patrolling in teams of four once a fortnight, the street pastors take to the town’s pavements from 10pm until 3am on a Friday and Saturday night to care for, listen to, and help people.

The street pastors have been well received by members of the public and staff from local pubs.

Jeanette Wheaton, bar manager at The Kings Arms, said: ‘I think the street pastors are excellent, it’s such a good idea.’

Kerry Hampson, barmaid at the London Inn, praised the street pastors for their commitment and dedication to helping others.

She said: ‘It is fantastic having a scheme like the street pastors here in Okehampton. It’s admirable what they do!

‘I think the street pastors help to give people that extra peace of mind. I think the support they provide, and the reassurance that our streets are a bit safer, means a lot to local people.’

Okehampton resident Sean Sandercock said: ‘There are so many vulnerable people on the street at night time, particularly those who might have had a few too many to drink, I think it’s great having people like the street pastors, who can give a helping hand to these people.

‘They are also really beneficial to those who may be visiting Okehampton for the evening – it’s quite easy to get lost in the town. The street pastors would be able to point these people in the right direction.’

A staff member at the Fountain Inn said: ‘I think the street pastors are a wonderful idea, I have a friend who is a street pastor in Exeter and I was so pleased when I heard the scheme was coming to Okehampton.’

Renowned for their compassion, street pastors are famous for handing out lollipops to defuse tension and violence as well as handing out flip flops to those struggling to walk in their high heeled shoes.

Each project is set up by Ascension Trust —the governing body behind street pastors.

The projects are run by a local co-ordinator with support from local churches and community groups, in partnership with the police, local authority and other statutory agencies.

Chairman of the Okehampton Street Pastors, Julie Yelled, said: ‘The street pastors have been very well received, both by members of the public and the door staff on the local pubs. 

‘We have enough volunteers to deploy a team once a fortnight on a Saturday night and they start their patrol at 10pm. The finish time does depend on the level of activity in the town in the early hours of the morning; however 3am is the latest time they will finish.’

As required by the Ascension Trust, the street pastor scheme in Okehampton obtained the support of Devon and Cornwall Police, local churches, West Devon Borough Council and Okehampton Town Council.

With the support received, the volunteers underwent training in order to prepare for their role as a street pastor.

The volunteers learned how to work together with other partners in the night time economy to make communities safer. Each volunteer was subject to DBS checks, references and went through a comprehensive training programme before taking to the evening streets to assist the community.

To find out more about street pastors and how you can volunteer, visit www.streetpastors.org