Having started in 2010 in Greenock, Inverclyde Street Pastors are about to celebrate 15 years of service at a special event in Hope Community church in Kelly Street Greenock on Saturday 27th September at 7pm.
The service has now extended to Gourock and Port Glasgow town centres, with Rail Pastors added in 2018 on local trains. ‘It seems the need for Street and Rail Pastors in Inverclyde has increased since Covid’ said Co-ordinator Alistair McAlees, ‘with the downturn in mental health, and we have recently added day patrols in Greenoc
k Town Centre which have been well received.
‘Over the years our trained volunteers have given out hundreds of flip-flops for people who come out of clubs and take off their high heels with risk of cutting their feet on broken glass. We have also given away hundreds of foil blankets to keep people warm, lollipops for a quick sugar intake and we help with basic first aid. We also dispose of bottles left on the streets and have great conversations of all sorts with those we meet, for which we are greatly thanked and we know we have also been life savers, averting firm thoughts of suicide. Our presence on local trains has quite a calming effect, where we come alongside travellers of all ages to listen care and help.
‘The celebration on the 27th of September, to which all members of the public are invited, co-incides with the 20th anniversary of Inverclyde Christian Initiative. The Initiative, which also operates other activities, runs the Inverclyde Street and Rail Pastor services, and the occasion will include the commissioning of two new Inverclyde Street Pastors plus lots of stories of what has happened over the past 20 years.’
Alistair added, ‘We need more and more Street and Rail Pastors, and if you are at least 18 years of age, a Christian with a heart for society and young people, please get in touch. There is no upper age limit and our volunteers come from a wide range of churches who come together with a common purpose to listen, care and help. Please get in touch with me at inverclyde@streetpastors.org.uk or by telephone to 07740 201 853.
