Street Angels could come to Oswestry
Street angels could soon be on the streets of Oswestry after the town council agreed to a grant of £1,000 to start up the group.
Volunteers will go out in the evenings, helping vulnerable people, offering bottles of water to those who may have had too much to drink, flip flops to replace high heels and even blankets.
Unlike the Street Pastor organisation the Street Angels are open to people of all beliefs and none.
At a recent meeting of Oswestry Town Council, Tony Durnell, one of those behind setting up the group in Oswestry talked to councillors about the scheme.
He said that West Mercia Police had offered the Street Angels a base in the town and that the Police and Crime Commissioner had given a £1,000 grant towards the set up costs.
The initial aim, he said, was to have volunteers out on Saturday nights and progress to Friday nights and town events.
The group has recruited seven volunteers but is aiming to recruit 25 in total, councillors were told.
The aim was to give the volunteers radios so that they could keep in contact with the CCTV headquarters. Volunteers must be over 18 and in good health and have to agree to a checking procedure.
Mr Durnell said: “We want to see Oswestry be known as a place that people want to come to in the evening, where they can feel safe and enjoy a night out.”
He said that the costs of setting up the group were about £3,500.
Anyone interested in helping should contact Mr Durnell on (01743) 360593 or join the group’s Facebook page.
“We are a multi faith organisation, we need people who attend their church on a regular basis, and we need people who do not attend church at all.
The international group Street Angels, began in 2005 in Halifax.
