Stowmarket: Christian pastor team care for Christmas party-goers

Pastors have been patrolling the streets of one Suffolk town offering refreshments and guidance to Christmas revellers.

Stowmarket Town Pastors have been on hand over the Christmas period when the town’s bars and pubs have been busy serving customers on Friday and Saturday nights.

The team, made up of 20 volunteers from churches in the town area, has been helping drinkers who may have lost their way for four years.

Monica Gant, 60, co-ordinator for the group, said: “We are a group of people from various different churches who get together to make people feel less vulnerable in the streets late at night whatever they maybe doing.

“People having a good time can feel very vulnerable if they are separated from friends and have had a few drinks. We are there to make sure people enjoy themselves safely and have some care if needed.

“I never feel afraid, we always feel protected, but we do come across some potentially volatile situations – sometimes when people drink it has an adverse effect.”

The pastors, who work between 8pm to midnight on Fridays and 10pm to 2am on Saturdays are linked with their Cafe 52 base in the town via radio link. Suffolk has similar pastor teams in other towns including Ipswich, Sudbury and Felixstowe.

If anyone is interested in joining the team they can email info@stowmarkettownpastors.org.uk