 Street Angels - the eBook! The amazing story of Street Angels and similar projects - this eBook will inspire, challenge and equip you. Amazing stories from binge to better of changed people and communities. Available via: Kindle - link to the book on Kindle Store PDF - via our web site More platforms coming soon... Download a leaflet to promote the book in your area Press Release "I have always been impressed with the work of Street Angels... I wasn't prepared in reading this latest book for the impact it has had on me..." Rebekah Brettle, Founder and CEO of Neighbourhood Prayer Network "Much of the news we hear about night life in our towns and cities is about unsocial behaviour and violence. So it is heartening to be able to read this story which, though not in any way diminishing the impact of harsh realities, tells of faith, hope and love." quote from the Foreword by Bishop of Pontefract, Right Rev. Tony Robinson "... For me this is one of the most powerful encounters in my eight years of Street Angels! Four and half years later the young lady we took back to the cafe came up to me in the town centre. She thanked us for helping her that night (she was fourteen when we helped her) and then said that her life had changed because of the help we had given. She realised that her life was worth more than the life she was living – she had stopped going out drinking and had settled down to school work and her family life. From not doing very well at school she went on to do well in her GCSE‟s, stayed at school for A Levels and was at home for the Easter Holidays from her first year at University. The change had happened because a few people in yellow jackets cared enough to make sure she was cleaned up and given assistance to get to a friend‟s house. This, for me, shows the worth of what Street Angels do and I know that now it is a story repeated in community after community week after week." excerpt from the Halifax Street Angels story "... A stripper hears the Bible explained in a way that she understands and then wants one; whilst a heroin addict who is unsure if he still has a soul, comes to ask us what we think. A man diagnosed with Hepatitis C and sentenced to a slow and painful death, is miraculously healed one week and the next a young guy is moved to admit that he wants 'what you all have'...” excerpt from The Living Room story
Over ninety people representing forty local projects and partner organisations gathered at Staverton Park Hotel in Daventry for our third National Conference and first weekend conference. With great facilities and food those who attended had a weekend of inspiration, learning, networking and gathering resources to help impact communities and people across the country. On Friday we heard from several projects across the country who shared ideas and ways they are working and impacting communities. Marjorie Golding from the POP Campaign then shared the story of her son Blake who was glassed as he worked in a nightclub. The injuries he endured caused Marjorie and husband Robert to start a campaign to replace glass with polycarbonate in pubs and clubs. Towns that have trialled this have seen a significant reduction in facial injuries. We were encouraged to take polycarbonate glasses to PubWatch meetings and encourage this at a grassroots level. Bob Stoner from Lincoln Street Pastors and the newest CNI Network project Sleaford Street Source introduced the Your Night mobile app and how this can ensure those we help have a safe and fun night out. Priced at £30 the app is available for use by CNI Network projects. Our keynote speaker Gerald Coates shared about the need to be and the impact of people of encouragement. When we encourage and bless others this can and does impact people's lives and can lead to changed lives, families, streets and communities. We were encouraged to encourage others in our teams, other projects and those we help. Saturday saw the eBook "Street Angels - the amazing story from binge to better" launched followed by why there is a need for CNI Network as an umbrella organisation that promotes, celebrates and is a one-stop place for others to find out what is happening. Fast paced TED style talks saw a wide range of topics covered over Saturday morning, many of which were covered in more detail in Saturday afternoon workshops: Gerald Coates shared about Sexual Healing and the grip that pornography has over people and how this is destroying lives with Nathan Ferreria rapping about his experiences and the freedom he has found. Kym-Marie Cleasby spoke about Wash My Pink Jumper - an organisation set up to help young ladies who are wanting to stop binge drinking and shared the story of how binge drinking has effected her family. Several people volunteered to be Big Sisters and to look at starting a Wash My Pink Jumper group. Steve Brock spoke about the Accredited Training Package available to local projects which offers volunteers a qualification in "Supporting Users of the Night-Time Economy". Steve also spoke about the work of the Christian Police Association and how this can help us link closer with local Police. Beth Tash and Lucy Hardy launched Club Angels - our newest initiative - and told how this had made a massive difference in clubs in Leeds and Croydon where the scheme already runs. The Club Angels video was premièred and ideas given for how how to run a Club Angels. The Alcohol and Safety Education Resource was then launched by Tony Buck - this resource will help local projects connect with schools and young people's groups with a lesson plan that covers alcohol facts and allows time to discuss the role of Street Angels with stories of incidents within the local town. Tam Sheen spoke about street grooming and human trafficking and the reality of this happening within the night-time of our communities. Tam started CALLA as a response to things she witnessed whilst a volunteer with Telford Sanktuary and gave us tools and insight to spot the signs and help prevent this within our work on the streets. DC Thomas Spencer from the North East Counter Terrorism Team thanked those who volunteer and shared how we are and can increasingly be key to preventing terrorism within our communities. Finally Roy Crown from HOPE Together spoke about ways churches can work together better and shared some of the resources from HOPE available to help facilitate this. Our keynote speaker Debra Green OBE from Redeeming Our Communities concluded the morning with some stories of community transformation as churches, community groups, police, fire, NHS and local authority work in partnership to offer projects such as ROC Cafe, ROC Justice, etc. Saturday also launched the "dudes with wings" product range and two new Street Angels songs - flip flops and lollipops - see the YouTube at the bottom of the newsletter - and a song we will make available as a MP3 shortly by Dave and Mandy Scott-Morgan who provided an evening of rock 'n' roll on Saturday. Sunday was a time for feedback and moving forward along with more stories from local projects. There were many ideas and resources shared including potential funding pots, first aid course from Ellis at Halifax Street Angels, ideas for recruiting more volunteers, social media workshop and looking at ways of networking together better regionally. Trevor Bendrien shared some thoughts in a humorous way around team work from the story of the crippled man who was lowered through the roof to Jesus when he was in a packed house. Team work was needed to make the hole, work out where the hole should be cut, gathering tools to get the hole cut, getting the man on a stretcher onto the roof, etc - this is how local projects and CNI Network works - teamwork, helping each other, carrying the weak and all mucking in to et the job done! Andy Burns finished the conference with a commissioning anew of our local projects and those who volunteer. A fitting end to an excellent weekend! See tweets - #CNIConf / below a few photos from the Conference - more will be added shortly to our Facebook page / thanks again to Diageo who sponsored the weekend and enabled us to provide the conference bags and to UCB for donating the comics / thanks to all who came and those contributed in any way to make it an amazing weekend! Welcome to Sleaford Street Source the latest night-time project to become part of CNI Network. They launch on 21st September so please pray for them... Unfortunately our application for Big Lottery Funding was unsuccessful. We had applied so that we would be able to extend our staff team and pay a realistic salary as we develop and strengthen the support we offer new and existing projects through areas such as accredited training, alcohol and safety education resource, regional networks, celebrating local stories at national level, developing new ideas, etc. Please pray for Paul, Jean and the Trustees as they pray about and decide the way forward long term for SA-CNI Network. The President of the Methodist Conference 2013 - 2014, Revd. Ruth Gee, has offered her endorsement: "Street Angels - CNI network is making a big difference in our communities. The volunteers, many of them from local churches and Christian groups, offer support to those who are most vulnerable in city and town centres. This is a visible expression of the love of Jesus offered by volunteers who are transforming the night-time economy in partnership with others. The vision that was born in Halifax has inspired many and I pray that it will continue to do so." 'What is a Street Angel?' the comic book is now available free for local projects thanks to the amazing generosity of UCB - United Christian Broadcasters. Please contact Paul if you would like a bundle of 50 posting to you (we ask for a donation of £4.00 per 50 comic books to cover postage and packing). The CNI Network projects in Cleveland have worked on a working protocol with the Police that will be made available for use as a template to help local projects develop for use with local police forces. Read more here - the document will be posted on our Blog later this month. James Glancey from Stockton Town Pastors is walking the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) - a 120km walk from Ferrol to Galicia in Spain in October. He is raising money for Stockton Town Pastors and you can sponsor him here. Leeds Festival - Revd. Andy Nicholson writes: Over the bank holiday nearly 100 Christian volunteers from across the North of England congregated at Leeds Festival to help with Festival Angels, a local project initiated 3 years ago to be a Christian presence at Leeds Festival. This year, as well as selling teas and coffees in a prayer tent (which also offers an opportunity for people to write prayers and be prayed with) Festival Angels also ran the Festival’s Lost Property Tent and engaged in detached work around the site. I’ve been involved in the Prayer tent since its inception and this year the festival had a very different feel from previous years for one very simple reason – mud. The storm on Thursday evening and then the persistent rain throughout Saturday meant that many people’s tents became flooded (including the Prayer Tent). In previous years the majority of the ministry has been in listening and discussion. This year was much more practical with over a dozen sleeping bags and blankets given out, tents given and shelter offered. On the Sunday night Festival Angels were the only ones who the Festival organisers could contact to man a drop-in shelter for the many who had lost their tents and needed somewhere dry to sleep. In very real ways we were offering an incarnational ministry that showed the love of God through acts of kindness and humility or, as Mark Tiddy in his blog put it, found Jesus at the Festival; Jesus was at the festival He had his shirt stolen so we gave him a shirt He was alone in an unfamiliar setting so we helped him set his tent up He was cold so we gave him a foil blanket, some shelter and warm cup of tea His tent collapsed in the rain so we gave him somewhere to sleep He was thirsty so we gave him a cup of tea, He was worried about something so we listened. You can read some of the Twitter feedback on Festival Angels, the Prayer Tent and Lost Property here. From our Blog: Police Crime Commissioner shows support for Cleveland's Street Angels projects When all you want is your 'Big Sister' Angels make Bedford a safer place Stockton Town Pastors August Newsletter Club Angels - launched at our National Conference, and trialled in Leeds and Croydon, Club Angels sees Christians in club venues with t-shirts saying, ‘chat, help, listen and care, p.s. we’re Christians, ask us more if you want.’ - you can see how to set up a Club Angels here, visit the Club Angels web site here and watch the video below... Diary for September: Wed 4th - Paul speaking at Bradford Connaught Luncheon Club Mon 9th - Paul updating Halifax Street Angels steering group on work of CNI Network Thu 12th - Social Media and Your Organisation - a 2.5 hour masterclass in use of Social Media within your organisation. Presented by Paul Blakey and Beth Ward in Halifax - see here. Sat 14th - Paul and Jean out with Bridlington Street Angels Sat 21st - Launch of Sleaford Street Source - #CNIPrayer as they go on patrol for the first time... #CNIPrayer - Newtownards NightLight / Huddersfield Street Angels / Ripon Town Pastors / Scarborough Youth Angels / Milton Keynes Street Ministers / Newmarket Town Pastors, East Anglia / Aldershot Town Centre Pastoral Team / Exmouth Open Door Night Shift / Marlborough Mop Fair Street Angels / Townsville Street Chaplains, Australia We can also Prayer:Twin local projects together - so far Blackpool Street Angels and Stockton Town Pastors are twinned as are Exmouth Open Door NightShift and Whitby Street Angels. To register interest contact [email protected] Little Bro: "what's an angel?" Big Bro: "it's like a dude with wings" Our exciting new product range is designed to help you with fundraising for your local project. "dude with wings' are six contemporary images which feature on greetings cards, magnets, keyrings, posters and mugs and can be custom designed with your local project logo. More information here. Comments are closed.
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