Town pastors are taking to the streets of Bury St Edmunds from May 2, offering guidance to people on anight out in the town.
Supported by St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk Police through the Bury Central Safer Neighbourhood Team, and the Bury Pubwatch scheme, Town Pastors will be out and about on Friday and Saturday evenings. There are 25 members of the initiative drawn from local churches, who will go out in pairs in the areas around Bury’s pubs and clubs.
The pastors will look out for and support vulnerable people they encounter, assisting where appropriate, as well as providing a friendly face and a caring approach to help people enjoy their night out to the full.
Coordinator Mrs Jo Copsey says: “We have a fantastic team of volunteer Town Pastors who will be supported by a large prayer team. We feel privileged to have the opportunity to serve the community and contribute towards making Bury St Edmunds a safer place.”
The West Suffolk Community Safety Partnership is funding the Town Pastor scheme. Cllr Sara Mildmay-White, St Edmundsbury Borough Council Cabinet member with responsibility for crime and disorder reduction and member of the Community Safety Partnership says: "Bury St Edmunds has many attractions for a great evening out, which can be enjoyed in safety thanks to the commendable efforts of these caring and principled volunteers and to the partnership working of local agencies."
Bury Central Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeant Steve Henthorn hopes the pastors will be valued by all who meet them. “I am very grateful to those volunteers who will be giving up their time for free to help make Bury town centre an even safer place on Friday and Saturday nights. The Town Pastors will certainly assist my officers by listening to any concerns and speaking to people in vulnerable or hostile situations. By working together we will be able to give an even higher level of service to people on a night out.”
Chris Cornish, chair of Bury Pubwatch, adds: “Pubwatch fully supports the Town Pastors initiative and we all look forward to working with them, as it can only benefit the night time economy of Bury St Edmunds by offering support and help to those persons in need.”
