Update from Guisborough Night Light

NightLight started on 18th October as a Guisborough Bridge pilot project, initially on a Friday and for the last three weeks on a Saturday evening. The 'pilot' was to test out whether there is a need for help and support in the early hours in Guisborough and already we've found out there is! We have nine volunteers and had the intention of having a single three-person patrol; in all but one week extra people have come along and we've been able to muster two patrols. Since starting, a number of people have come forward wanting to become volunteers and we hope to go out on both Friday and Saturday evenings in the New Year. 

No two weeks have been the same in terms of the 'mood' on the streets or the types of challenges we have encountered.  We don't have a building to work from so we use a minibus as the focal point to dispense teas, coffees, water and flip-flops. A summary of the last six weeks :

• 107 patrol hours
  
• 4 first aid
  
• 1 ambulance called
  
• 4 reconciled with family or friends
  
• 10 placed in taxis
  
• 6 flip flops
  
• 32 teas, coffees and bottled water
  
• 3 got to a place of safety
  
• 66 other significant contact
  
  

Some of the difficult incidents can make you think "I'd rather be at home rather than deal with this" . . . but, if we weren't there, who would have helped? A quote from a distressed lady in the early hours of Saturday morning "Why are you all so nice?"!