Truro Street Pastors are part of a well organised, fully insured ministry that started in 2003 in Lambeth, London, and is now present in hundreds of towns and cities across the UK. Wherever they are present, crime rates fall, and for this reason many police forces have asked local churches to start Street Pastor groups.

We launched in Truro in 2010 after a request for help by the local police inspector, and have trained volunteers from many different churches and denominations across the City. The service is almost entirely funded by an annual grant from the City Council and is a unique affirmation from the secular authorities of the practical difference that Christian ‘Agape’ love can make in the world. 

Street Pastors go out onto the streets – generally on Saturday nights – to care for people who find themselves in difficulty or vulnerable for reasons such as alcohol consumption, drugs use, mental health problems, homelessness etc. while Prayer Pastors remain back at base, praying for those who need help and for the Pastors out on the streets trying to help them.

TRURO STREET PASTORS  are inviting members of the churches in Truro  to consider taking part in this excellent work by becoming Street Pastors, and Prayer Pastors.  New Trustees are also needed. 

See this article for more information; or contact Val Kincaid at vrkincaid@gmail.com or on 07884-976434.

Critical Appeal for Volunteers – July 2021

Would you consider joining our friendly and supportive ‘church on the street’ in this exciting and vital front-line work in the night-time economy of Truro?

Are you …

… A good listener.

… Non-judgemental.

… Caring

Perhaps wishing to put your nursing, caring, medical or other people skills, to  good use.

… Respectful of other people’s opinions, beliefs and life stories.

… Not easily offended or shocked.

… Calm in a crisis.

… Tenacious, and enjoy solving problems

… A good team worker.

… Reasonably fit – able to walk a mile or so a night and carry a small pack or shoulder bag.

… Keen to learn and engage in training. 

… Open to the power of grace and prayer, and to God’s love both for the world and for all people.

… AGE IS NO BARRIER. Some of our most effective Street Pastors have been in their 70s and 80s. The young people love to see us, and the presence of someone who could be their grandma or grandad is a wonderful witness to God’s love for them.

Commitment …

One Saturday night per month.

Some Saturday morning training. 

Swops are arranged for holidays and sickness.

What are Street Pastors?

Truro Street Pastors are part of a well organised, fully insured ministry that started in 2003 in Lambeth, London, and is now present in hundreds of towns and cities across the UK. It is well known that wherever Street Pastor teams are present, crime rates fall, and for this reason many police forces have asked the churches to start Street Pastor groups in their areas.

We launched in Truro in 2010 after a request for help by the local police inspector, and subsequently drew and trained volunteers from many different churches and denominations across the City. This is still the case. The service also remains almost entirely funded by an annual grant from the City Council and is a unique affirmation from the secular authorities of the practical difference that Christian ‘Agape’ love can make in the world. 

We go out onto the streets – generally on Saturday nights – to care for people who find themselves in difficulty or vulnerable for reasons such as alcohol consumption, drugs use, mental health problems, homelessness etc.

Some of the things we do …

… help people find lost friends and transport 

… charge mobile phones to enable folk to contact family and friends

… provide items such as water and flip flops (to avoid injury from broken glass) … physically support people who have become very drunk as they sober up 

… call ambulances for those who are deteriorating or unwell.

… provide basic first aid for cuts and bruises (statutory first aid course provided)

… provide vomit bags to the taxi drivers friends and family to assist in transport … find shelter, provide sleeping bags, water, and coffee, – and most importantly … a listening ear – to the homeless

… provide a listening ear and friendship to the door staff, who often have very difficult and fragmented lives with two or more jobs.

… signpost folk to further help and advice if possible.

… collect bottles and cans from the street to avoid them becoming opportunist weapons.

… sweep up areas of broken glass where there is a potential for bare feet to be cut.

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!!  

The above list may appear daunting, but don’t be discouraged. Full training is given, and the teams are led by experienced Street Pastors. You will never be asked to do anything you are not comfortable with. I make it my duty to know everyone well, and the teams are intentionally balanced to make sure that each one has a variety of ages, skills, physical capacity and life experience. 

Most importantly, we have a team of Prayer Pastors at the base who pray into all the matters we continually ring back to them. In eleven years, we have never been unable to resolve a situation satisfactorily. This is God’s work, and a real opportunity to see prayer answered on a nightly basis. 

To a man and woman, we can witness to the fact that becoming a Street Pastor has changed our lives, opened our eyes, opened our hearts, and deepened our faith. Being part of an active, prayer-based, mutually supportive, outward-looking missional community is true Church, and we’d love you to experience this for yourself.

May God bless you as you consider whether you are being called to the work. I’d be delighted to have a chat or drop out to meet you if you’d like to find out more.

Jonathan Creber MA (Mission)

Co-ordinator

Truro Street Pastors

Home: 01726 882768 

truro@streetpastors.org.uk (comes to me only)

Appeal for TRUSTEES

PS. After eleven years, Truro Street Pastors also urgently needs four fresh trustees. 

If you are a leader in your church (paid or voluntary), have a sacrificial, missional heart, and would be keen to understand, support, and help develop Truro Street Pastors in our expanding City, then please contact Matt Noble – our current Chair of Trustees for an informal chat. Alternatively contact me as above.

Matt’s contact details are:

Mobile: 07950 186052

matt@citylifechurch.co.uk (Previously known as Truro Baptist Church)

CAFOD has launched a campaign to keep climate justice high on the political agenda over the coming months. 

The CAFOD Truro group aims to persuade our local MP Cherylin Macrory to have a face-to-face or zoom meeting with people from Truro and Falmouth parishes, where they can ask her what she is doing to make sure we meet our climate targets and reduce the impact of climate change on all nations and peoples.

Readers are therefore invited to write to her, either by email or by post to show her the strength of feeling amongst the Catholics in her constituency – the more letters the better. We feel sure that she is more likely to agree to a meeting if we can show how many of us care about climate justice issues.

If you copy your letter to us, we will post samples on our website in the coming weeks as examples for others.

Cherylin Macrory’s constituency address is: Lemon Chapel, William Street, Truro, TR1 2ED

Tel: 01872 229698 or email her at cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk