News & Events

New recruits spring into Street Pastors training: Why do we train street pastors?

Mar 2, 2015 | Training

What does springtime mean to you? Blossom? Daffodils? Lambs? Cleaning? Spring is all about the promise of growth, warmth and colour. Many Street Pastors teams train new recruits in the spring: people with potential and a willingness to help their local community. But what does it take to turn a bud into a flower? Over the next few weeks this page will investigate why and how volunteers are trained, plus we’ll get the inside story in a ‘Diary of a trainee’ – coming soon.

The Street Pastors training course presents the ethos of the Street Pastors initiative, and contains resources to prepare teams for appropriate and relevant relationships on the streets. It aims to bring together the challenges of a Christian responsibility for our neighbourhoods with the specialised knowledge vital to participation in 21st-century culture.

 

Training led by Southampton Street Pastors last weekend

Training led by Southampton Street Pastors last weekend

Training is part of our quality control. When a police officer or a member of staff in an emergency shelter speaks to a street pastor, they know that that individual has committed 42 hours of their time to the training course and has been ‘sent out’ or ‘launched’ – by local churches, the local Street Pastors management team, as well as friends and family – to do the work of a street pastor. When a member of the public asks a street pastor for help, they do so because there is a level of trust and credibility, and that also starts with our training rquirements.

It is vital that all of us – volunteers, police officers, nightclub managers, doorstaff and taxi drivers – know that a street pastor in uniform is an accredited person who will uphold the reputation of Street Pastors and is someone who knows the boundaries of their role.

News on the web about current Street Pastors training sessions:
The course in Hanley is being run at the local YMCA

Elgin Street Pastors welcome new recruits

Inverclyde Street Pastors looking to grow its teams

And on Twitter:

Great weekend of training new#streetpastors. Thank you @MandyHardingSP @SouthamptonSP and Anwar @AscensionTrust
@StreetPastors Brilliant weekend, wonderful training group. Looking forward to more volunteers joining us to love and serve our communities

First session of the training cycle for new @WinchSPs volunteer @StreetPastors this evening, then all day Sat and Sun. Help them, Lord!

My first @StreetPastors training day – involved role play, cake & a toy dog. Thanks to @ExeterSP and @TorbayStreetPas

If you are interested in training as a street pastor see our checklist of requirements