Royal Patron for Street Pastors

Tuesday January 7 2025

The charity behind the Street Pastors in Scotland has announced that Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has accepted an invitation to become their Royal Patron.

The Ascension Trust (Scotland) encourages and enables Street, Rail and School Pastors throughout the country. It currently has 18 initiatives operating, with Street Pastors active in 28 cities and towns across the country, and plans for five new initiatives to be set up in the coming months, including Shetland to the north and Dumfries and Galloway in the south.

Street Pastors are trained volunteers from churches of various denominations who spend time in their communities, often town centres late at night, providing pastoral and practical help where needed. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, recently went on patrol with Pastors in Glasgow and Falkirk.

Shaw Anderson, Chairman of Ascension Trust (Scotland) said: “It is a pleasure and an honour for us to learn that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh has accepted our invitation to become our Royal Patron. I know our various initiatives will welcome her presence and engagement as this wonderful Christian ministry of Street, Rail School and other Pastors moves forward. With a motto of ‘Caring, Listening, Helping’ in the streets, on trains and in schools, and with mental health at an all-time low, we feel increasingly enabled to make a difference and help people wherever they find themselves in difficult situations.”

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