Feel Good Festival: Street Pastors

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Rochdale Street Pastors at the Feel Good Festival

Rochdale Street Pastors, who are based in Kirkholt, are on hand during the Feel Good Festival to offer community support throughout the event.

Jean Briggs, the co-ordinator of the scheme, said: “We try and help community cohesion but we are here to just talk to people as well if they want to talk and to interact with people who may seem a little lonely. We do all sorts of things really.”

Four street pastors were at the festival today (Friday 29 August) with a few more heading to the event tomorrow.

Jean added: “We will be around from about 2pm onwards tomorrow and I there will be about seven of us atogether.”

The group has had a positive response to what they are doing.

“It has been great. This is a great event and we have met some lovely people and have spoken to a number of different people. We met one couple who knew straight away who we were and what we did so that was nice,” said Jean.

The Street Pastor scheme was set up in London in 2003 by Reverend Les Isaac and the Rochdale scheme was funded in part by the town’s community safety partnership.

The Rochdale scheme currently has around 11 regular volunteers who are all Christian volunteers from local congregations.

Street Pastors will be on site tomorrow and will be wearing dark blue coats and hats clearly stating who they are for those who feel they need them.

For a full programme of events see:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/128/advertorials/89113/rochdale-feel-good-festival-2014-programme