This team of retired churchgoers is helping people stay safe on a night out

The Leicester Street Pastors, a group of mostly retired churchgoers, walk around the city centre in teams of three or four every Saturday night and the first Friday night of each month, supporting people on a night out. 

They offer practical support, like flip-flops for tired feet, water for people who feel sick, or basic First Aid for anyone who is hurt. They carry radios, and so can report situations but also respond to a range of events that happen over an evening.

“We're standing here by this clock tower as a deterrent”, said Ray, one of the team leaders. “[We’ll stand here] for about half an hour. It keeps everything calm and collected because [people] can sense the presence of the street pastors.”

In 2023, Leicester was named the most popular place for nightlife in the UK, which surprised some people. The city was reported to be spending the most on late-night entertainment in the UK, surpassing the likes of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and London.

One volunteer began telling me: “We’re actually here to help anyone who needs it…” But she was cut off, as two men, in their late twenties, approached the group. It was the first time, that night, anyone had approached us, and it was safe to say, I was becoming increasingly conscious of just how visible we were.

“We’re very curious as to what you are doing,” the first man said politely.

Pleased by their question, the volunteer I had been speaking to replied: “We come from lots of different churches in Leicester, and we’re here to help anyone who needs it. We’re here to help anyone who is homeless, anyone who has drank too much, and anyone who might be in need of some help.”

It’s not often my job as an interviewer is replaced by two strangers. However, for the next 10 minutes, the two men spoke about their experiences of faith and nightlife in Leicester. It was a prime example of how the street pastors use their approachability to create conservations and bond with people to create common ground.

After being posted at the clock tower for a short time, we started a patrol towards Leicester Cathedral, where we were met with a woman and two men in their 30s, both sleeping rough. At this time of night, any chance of securing a room in a shelter or refuge was gone.

The street pastors immediately recognised the woman. She told the street pastors how their sleeping bags were stolen, and their tent slashed, earlier that day. Luckily, the street pastors had received a donation of four sleeping bags that afternoon. After handing out the sleeping bags, water, and snacks, the woman, Jane (not her real name), said: “I don’t know what we’d have done without you tonight, thank you. We really appreciate it.” 

Jane told me how she was shunned from her local church and soon after began sleeping rough in the city centre. “I would never set foot inside a church, not any more, but I still have my faith, and I do think this was a blessing,” she said. 

The phrase ‘church on the street’ was one that came up several times that night. The group explained that despite the word ‘pastor’ being in their name, they did not preach to anyone through the service but that for some it offered an invitation for others to share their own experiences with religion.

Looking to make a difference

By the end of the night, it was clear that Leicester Street Pastors would like more volunteers to help cover the city centre, particularly young people. Often they find university students are happy to get stuck in, but then return home after their studies. Despite this, the group were pleased to hear that they might be receiving five 'newbies' from one of the church choirs in Leicester.

But as one volunteer pointed out, the current volunteers can use their age to their advantage when helping vulnerable people. They told me about the 'grandparent effect' — that some people see them as more approachable because of their age, meaning those struggling are more likely to accept help, and appear less hostile at first.

She stated: “I met a girl once who was drunk, and I knew her boyfriend, who sleeps rough quite a lot. And she was pregnant. And I said, Well, she couldn't do her coat up. I said, 'Oh, you're having a baby. What are you drinking?' Well, because of my age, we can say things like that.

“The girl said to me, ‘I’ve not had very many, though. Not as many as I would normally have’. As a granny, you know, you can say: ‘well, you shouldn't be doing that. You know’.” The girl she spoke of later lost her baby and had her two other children taken into care. 

Having recently had a comment from a passer-by that he should be “tucked up in bed,” team leader Ray told me: “The way I look at it, that could be my daughter laying out there. And I think I'd be grateful if somebody was helping her. That's the way I see it.”

Even though the group provides a great outreach service, there are still some barriers to volunteering that can make it difficult to recruit people. Currently, to become a street pastor, you need to have been attending a church for 12 months and require a reference from a church leader. 

This process can cause delays and complications. Volunteer Roshni, who recently moved from Portsmouth, explained that the referral method can be difficult, especially if you come from a Catholic Church. “I did ask my priest at the time for a reference, and he said he couldn't because he did not know me personally. But I had a friend who then went on to start his own church and so, I started to go there for evening prayers. He was the one who gave me the reference. So, yeah, the reference part is a bit serious.”

Despite this lengthy process, there are other ways to get involved with Leicester Street Pastors and the group is always looking for more people to help out. Details on how to volunteer with them can be found on their website here.