We even helped a Cinderella who we found missing her Vivienne Westwood shoe, along with her hand bag and fiancee! As with many other situations that night we managed but by the grace of God to relocate the shoe, bag and eventually her fiancee and saw them both safely to their bed and breakfast. Just one of many vulnerable people that the Street Angels in York have helped over the course of hundreds of hours on the streets in 2012.

Thank you so much to all the volunteers and others that have given of their time and supported our work over last year. It was great to see so many of you at the Christmas party (photos below). With the new Street Angels Bus project underway and hoping to be launched in April it looks like we have another exciting year ahead of us helping to make York a safer place for everyone.

Nominee for Best Community Project

Secondly we were honored to have been nominated and short listed to the final four organisations for the Best Community Project at York Community Pride Awards. On Thursday the 18th October ten of us were able to attend the award ceremony at York Race course, it was an amazing evening honoring so many generous and brave people who have given so much to their communities in York and made a difference in the lives of others. Being nominated is a tribute to all the hard work our street angels volunteers do on Friday and Saturday nights putting their faith in to action.

We are so thankful to God for all that he is doing in and through Street Angels York in helping to make your a safer place and demonstrating of His love and compassion for those that visit the city at night.

Street Angels – Christian Nightlife Initiative, aHalifaxcommunity group that has helped reclaim no-go areas of their town once blighted by binge drinking, is the latest winner of the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award.

The successful community group has spent the last six-and-a-half years volunteering alongside the police and local services to drive out drunken violence and antisocial behaviour and help protect vulnerable people on the streets. Following their work, the town has won two Purple Flag awards, in 2010 and 2011, recognising high standard of safety and cleanliness in the night time economy.

Since its launch almost 100 towns and cities across theUK, and even inAustralia, have used Street Angels as a blueprint to introduce their own schemes.

Street Angels now invests around 8,000 volunteering hours into Halifax each year which sees them patrol the town every weekend in distinctive uniforms offering assistance, ranging from helping elderly people onto public transport to flagging early signs of street violence or disorder to the police and CCTV operators.

Congratulating founder Paul Blakey MBE on the award, the Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Street Angels shows what can be achieved when communities come together and work hand in hand with their local services to make their towns, estates and streets safer places.

“Paul and his army of volunteers embody the principals of Big Society, with people standing up and taking an active role in building the type of community they want to live in – one that looks out for the vulnerable and says no to the drunken, loutish, criminal behaviour that can too often blight communities.

“I’m delighted this approach has been used to tackle the very same issues in other towns and cities, as far away asAustralia. It really shows just how important and universal the Big Society message is.”

Accepting the award, Paul Blakey MBE, said:

“To be awarded the Big Society Award is an amazing accolade for the thousands of volunteers who invest time and skills into over one hundred local areas across theUKweek in and week out.

“The fact that in many of these towns and cities violent crime and sexual assaults have reduced significantly and that the night-time economy has become a better place that can be enjoyed by all is proof that volunteering works and can have a massive positive impact.

“As our local projects, motivated by their Christian faith, partner with statutory bodies and others who care about the wider community, we become Big Society in action!

“From a local project meeting needs inHalifaxto one that is now at work across theUKand beyond, Street Angels – Christian Nightlife Initiatives is thrilled to accept the Big Society Award and thank the Prime Minister for this recognition.”

Chief Superintendent Chris Hardern, for Calderdale Police, said:

“Since 2005, Street Angels have been able to provide a reassuring presence in our community. They are all volunteers who give up their time on Saturday nights to work in partnership with police to ensureHalifaxtown centre is a safe place to visit and work.

“By having them working alongside us in helping vulnerable people, including young people who have become detached from their friends after having a little too much drink, means my officers are free to tackle other incidents that require police officers.

“This successful partnership work, alongside Calderdale Council, has led toHalifaxtown centre being awarded a Purple Flag status for a second year running in recognition of having a safe and thriving night-time economy.

“This policing initiative has shown what can be achieved when we all work together and this award is fitting recognition of that success.”

Since Street Angels was set up in Halifax in 2005:

• More than 8,000 hours a year is now invested on Saturday, and other key nights, by thousands of volunteers;
• volunteers have removed thousands of glasses and bottles from the streets, making for a safer, cleaner environment;
• the town has been awarded Purple Flag status recognising high levels of  safety and cleanliness for two years running;
• many vulnerable people have been helped after volunteers have referred them onto other services; and
• awareness of civic pride and the dangers of binge drinking have been raised through presentations at local schools and colleges.

Click the link to vote!

https://www.lloydsbankinggroupcommunities.com/communityfund/CF_Org_Vote_Profile.asp?CFOIDS=10000424

HOW WE’LL USE THE MONEY

Having worked in the city centre for the last two years we recognize the need to provide a warm and safe place for young people and others in vulnerable and difficult situations. We have been offered a converted double-decker bus to use as a highly visible and accessible safe place. It will provide a place from which first aid can be administered, where young people can wait while we contact parents or friends to pick up those that have had too much to drink. For people to sober up sufficiently to be able to take a taxi home. It will also be used to provide a confidential listening service for those in emotional distress or who just need someone to listen to them. Resources for other local services will be available for example for drugs and alcohol, pregnancy crisis centres, homeless services etc

THE DIFFERENCE IT WILL MAKE

This funding will provide the resources and training to equip our volunteers to make a difference to the lives of many young and vulnerable people in our city on a Friday and Saturday night. We will be able to provide a much needed safe place where people can come and sober up, stay warm, get a hot drink, and have a listening ear while we help make arrangements for them to get home safely.

To register your interest, please email:  yccvolunteer@gmail or phone/text John on 07957 287238

YKSoul would like to give a special thanks to both Mitrefinch for lending us a projector and to Mick Burnett for lending us the decks and the sound system for the night. Very much appreciated.

Thanks also to the Heather, Jennifer, Rob and their fellow Street Angels for staffing the entrance all night, they really took to the task and enjoyed their night. Heather gave a brief speech and thanked everyone for their support and efforts in contributing to an excellent night.

YKSoul has now raised well over £ 53,000 for various charities, and as long as they have the support like they had on this night they will continue to do so. It was almost a sell-out and the people who attended the event loved every minute of it.

for more info on the event see http://www.yksoul.com/yksouleventreviews.htm

It is a great opportunity for volunteers and anyone with an interest in Street Angels and the night time economy in York to come together and pray.

It will also be followed by a social from 8:30 at a different pub or bar around the city.

The next meeting is Tuesday 5th July with the social at the Priory Pub, on Micklegate

We are meeting at the Quaker Friends Meeting House, The Green Acomb, YO26 5LR

Thursday 7th April: Police Briefing 6 – 9:30 pm St Columbas URC, Priory Street, YO1 6EX

We are still accepting applications for new volunteers and need more men in particular to apply!

Contact Jennifer on 07852233065 or streetangelsyork@gmail.com for more information