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A night with the Chester Street Angels

10/3/2024

Source - The Chester Blog

Two men in dinner suits splash in a puddle outside Storyhouse, it is a rain soaked Saturday night at 9.30pm on the last race day of the year. I meet the Street Angels in the car park outside Kids Bank on Garden Lane.

“One never knows what the night is going to be like” says tonight’s team leader, retired anaesthetist Neil.

The Street Angels are a church led team of volunteers who provide assistance to anyone that needs it on nights out in the city centre. The service evolved from the Street Pastors, who operated before the pandemic, During the 18 nights of the pilot scheme volunteers supported 75 people who were intoxicated and 83 who were homeless. They assisted 23 people to get them home safe and collected 417 bottles or broken glass items. They had 100 conversations with people on life issues, gave advice on 27 occasions about drug and alcohol-related issues, and gave first aid on two occasions. The Angels also intervened or supported those who had experienced violence on a night out on five occasions, and once supported someone who had experienced a sexual assault during a night out.

Neil and fellow volunteer Jo lead me up Northgate street to their base for the night in St Peter’s Church at The Cross. In Town Hall square we see the first of the much maligned talking bins, this one full with rubbish scattered on the top and around it. “Its increasingly a problem” says Neil, who notes that bottles frequently fall and smash creating a hazard for those walking barefoot.

In St Peter’s the sanctuary and calm of the empty Church contrasts with the booming dance music heard outside and the flashing lights, suggesting some kind of elite night club. Here we are joined by Neil’s wife Hilary and recent recruit Sam. I feel nervous about the night ahead, with the shift scheduled to end at 3am. How will the public react I wonder?

The team are busy packing their rucksacks with supplies- a first aid kit, flip flops, plasters, a dustpan and brush for collecting broken glass, bottles of water, foil blankets, power packs and phone charging cables. Anti spiking devices which fit over a bottle or glass are a recent addition. In the winter the team carry hats and gloves. The Angels also carry a supply of lollipops : “they are quite useful for people who’ve had too much to drink”.

The Angels carry walkie talkies that are linked to the CCTV team and door staff ,enabling them to work in conjunction with other services to help keep people safe. Finally, the team carry flyers which they had out to raise awareness of what they do, and also help to raise funds and recruit more volunteers. After a prayer and a selfie we step out into the night.

The Churchyard is packed with partygoers and we shuffle through onto the street, the door staff greeting the volunteers with a friendly smile. Its 10.20 and Watergate street is the first stop on our patrol where the team are soon picking up abandoned bottles. Disposal of the bottles is sometimes a challenge as so many of the bins are full even at the start of the night. There are no fixed routes but all of the main streets in the city centre are covered, with the team also extending towards the railway station- with the last train to North Wales usually leaving around 11.40.

The respect for The Street Angels from bar and door staff is evident as we move down the street and the rain pours down on us. The response from the public is also extremely positive. “Thank you so much” says a member of the public passing by. Fallen debris from a building brings 2 fire engines to the street adds to the evenings sense of drama. Sam tells me about a recent incident on the same street:

“I had a shift on a race day and some guy had been punched. He’d hit his head on kerb and there was blood everywhere. I was nearby and I provided first aid. I had to look after him and also calm the situation until the ambulance arrived. It’s difficult when you have a lot of drunk people around.

“ I soon come to admire the team for the work that they do, the sense of peace and care they bring to an environment that could easily turn chaotic with the unpredictable effects of drink. The dust pan and brush is deployed as the Angels make the street safe.

“Where’s The Guild?” asks a man on the street a few yards away from The Guild. 10.29 and the first pair of flip flops are handed out to a grateful member of the public.

“The weather’s a bit crap innit!” says a police officer stationed in a van at the end of Watergate street.

We head back towards the Eastgate, pausing to pick up an abandoned bottle of Kopparberg..

As the rain worsens, and now split into 2 teams we walk up Foregate street. “We also get our window shopping done as well!” jokes Sam. The heavy rain has no doubt put off some people, and the Angels tell me that things are usually far more hectic and at times, challenging. Outside Bar 15, a man says as the team passes, “You deserve a gold medal!”. Next we head down into the subway at The Bars, where a small group of the homeless people gather. Here the Angels offer what support they can , Sam chatting to one of the group who reveals that he has now found somewhere to live. With the homeless, its about signposting, moral support, even a chat – whatever their needs are at that time ” says Sam.

Meanwhile in the pouring rain Hilary is brushing up glass and fallen leaves on the subway ramp.

At 11pm we are walking up city road. Another upbeat passer by shouts out “You are the people that help people!”. There is more window shopping at the high end furniture in Chattels. The team are again called into action supporting a lady feeling unwell at a bus stop. The rain continues and soon washes the vomit away on the glistening streets. We briefly stop at the train station which is largely deserted.

After that I walk with Neil and Jo up Brook street and Frodsham street. He tells me that Friday nights have been quieter in recent years, and have not returned to pre Covid levels of activity. He says that the Sunday nights of a Bank Holiday weekend have been a lot busier in comparison. I also ask him if he has ever encountered hostility from the public. This is rare he says but describes an incident where a man challenged the group and was “edging closer and closer . Most people are very appreciative . we usually end up getting 3 or 4 hugs! “ He also tells me about the training for prospective volunteers and the need to expand the team so that coverage can be increased. ” We have an induction , which is a 2 hour session and a DBS check” he says.

A common sightWe continue through St John Street with its numerous bars and clubs, including Popcorn, Cruise, Red Door , Bonobos and the recently refurbished Off the Wall. On Pepper street I help out picking up assorted glass bottles, having to wait until Bridge street to deposit them.

Up on the rows we pass assorted discarded takeaways packaging – noting that despite the amount of litter, by morning its all been removed by the city’s cleaning team. At midnight I pause to take a moody photo of The Cross whilst the Angels chat to a racegoer. After this we return to the Church for a break.

As soon as we have sat down, a call for help comes over on the radio, and Jo and Neil head back into the night. Another call comes though shortly after and I get the sense that the team are relied on as almost another branch of the emergency services, despite being unpaid volunteers. At 12.31 I hear a banging on the Church door- is someone trying to break in? No its just people outside leaning on the door.

Hilary and Sam tell me more about their involvement. “The aim is to do 1 shift a month” says Hilary before admitting that in one month recently she worked 3 shifts. Hilary explains that there is no longer a requirement to be affiliated to a Church to volunteer with the Street Angels- this was previously the case with the Street Pastors. ” As a Christian I see it as a nice way to connect with Christians and non Christians. We want to show our faith and part of that is caring for people”. Commenting on the stillness of the Church atmosphere she notes “It’s incredibly calm in here… You think of what’s going on outside. ”

“Its a very pressured role” continues Sam. “You could be dealing with anything, any incident can turn in a second. You have to know how to manage them” she says. “I really enjoy doing it because it makes a difference, I like giving something back to the community. I’m not part of a Church”

At 1245 Neil and Jo return after supporting a man who needed help getting back to his accommodation. Without their intervention of the Angels the man might have come to harm. At 1am we are back on the streets, reconvening at The Cross at 1.40. On Watergate street I witness the team supporting a young woman in distress and in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. They make sure she is safe and advise her where to pick up her taxi home. Shortly afterwards the Police are in action outside Rosies and on Eastgate street, where a man is bundled into a waiting van.

At 2am tiredness is setting in and I’m noticing strange things such as a young man wearing sunglasses and the Cruise signage and lights still being lit despite the venue’s closure. The team are again involved on St John’s street advising a woman separated from her partner. Their counselling and mediating skills are very much in evidence despite the late hour.

“To be out at this night with drunk people!” says a young woman part of a group, whom The Angels engage with about their work. More flip flops are handed out, and at the Cross Hilary is confronted when she attempts to hand out a further pair to a shoeless woman. “Get out of my way” says her companion, but she turns the situation around positively. Minutes later another approach to a barefooted member of the public is almost thwarted, when the woman suspects the Street Angels are scammers. Again the situation is turned around. With all the dangers of discarded glass, handing out footwear is often a key activity with Sam telling me that on a busy race night the team hand out up to 50 pairs.

The last half hour at The Cross are calm as the rain continues to pour and the night draws to a close.

Reflecting on the night I spent with The Street Angels I feel a great comfort to know that they are out in all weathers , supporting and looking after people. As the chair of Pubwatch Jenni Storey, said recently : “Street Angels plays a huge and vital role in Chester’s night-time economy. Knowing they’re out on patrol and available to help takes so much pressure off the bar staff, door teams and emergency services.