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Founder of Street Pastors Tours Scottish Projects

Thursday June 6 2013

The founder of the Street Pastors movement visited all 17 groups in Scotland last week.

The Rev Les Isaac’s seven-day tour marked the fifth anniversary of the street-based aid organisation in Scotland and its tenth anniversary worldwide.

During his visit, he said that the growth of Street Pastors in Scotland had been ‘phenomenal’.

“We are currently in talks to look at setting up projects in at least a further five towns,” he added. “The work these projects do has been well-received and the Street Pastors have become a welcome sight in Scottish town and city centres.”

The Rev Les Isaac Street Pastors were pioneered in London in 2003 by the Rev Isaac (left), Director of the Ascension Trust. The project started in Scotland in 2008 and now has over 400 Street Pastors, who are a familiar sight to revellers in town and city centres.

Perhaps most famous for handing out flip-flops, the pastors provide assistance and a friendly face to anyone who needs it.

Sandy Scrimgeour, Chairman of the Ascension Trust (Scotland), said: “Street Pastors is not only sustainable but also has the potential to expand into Scotland’s daytime economy with projects being looked at involving schools and shopping centres. I believe we could see the number of projects double in Scotland in the next few years.

“Street Pastors offer a raft of practical help as well as a non-judgmental ear and often the calm comfort of a member of our team can defuse high-tension aggressive situations - thereby preventing injury or arrest - or even act in a suicide intervention role averting tragedy.

“Nationally, it has been proven that street crime drops in areas where Street Pastors operate and they are seen as a much more approachable presence by all ages.

“It’s difficult to see someone in a baseball cap eating a bag of chips as an authoritarian figure - and we get results.”

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