ROC Northern Ireland feature ROC Angels as an Organisation Highlight

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In 1989 the Presbyterian Church in Belfast pioneered a group that were out on the streets of the Belfast "Golden Mile" on weekend nights between 11pm and 3am. In 1995 Nightlight became a regular feature on a weekend night in Belfast and many other towns across Northern Ireland until just before the pandemic.

In so many ways the work in Northern Ireland was a first for what has now become a standard in most town and city centres across the UK on weekend nights. 

Northern Ireland man Andy Burns, working in Dundee, was the next to 'do something at night to reach out to clubbers'. In 2000 he launched Dundee Street Chaplains working in the thriving night-time of Dundee on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday's until the wee early hours! 

Catching up in 2005 was England when the church in Halifax, led by Paul Blakey, started Street Angels. This initiative had an aim to offer a safe place and patrols around Halifax town centre which was, in those days, known as the Wild West of West Yorkshire. Street Pastors, a similar scheme, started around this time in London. 

Fast forward to 2024 and Street Angels are now part of ROC with around 100 local projects working on the streets, at festivals, inside nightclubs, offering chaplaincy to shops and businesses and supporting the homeless community. 

In Northern Ireland Street Chaplains are at work in Ballymoney, Lurgan and Newcastle. These teams are out and about on weekend nights offering support to those who are or could become vulnerable. Free hot drinks and opportunity to chat to volunteers about life, faith and issues are also key parts of the outreach Street Chaplains offer. The Newcastle team become chaplains to shops and businesses during the day. 

In the past alongside Nightlight, ROC Angels have supported Club Angels working in Cookstown and Festival Angels working around community festival events in Belfast. 

ROC Angels empowers local people of goodwill to work together for safer, stronger communities especially within the third spaces of society, such as: the night-time economy; music festivals and events; around pubs and clubs; within town and city centres; and local communities. If you think your community could benefit from a ROC Angels project get in touch with us! 

You can read the Street Angels story for free and buy a copy of Andy Burns book 'Feet on the Street' via streetangels.org.uk/book . For more information on ROC Angels visit streetangels.org.uk