Ladies in high heels will get flip flop relief from Cheltenham’s Street Pastor Teams during Thursday and Friday of the Cheltenham Races Festival.
Backed by the town’s police, civic leaders and churches, it’s claimed successful Christian Street Pastors schemes have helped to reduce night crime by up to 84 per cent in some parts of the UK.
Local Chair Nigel Bennett said, “Members of Cheltenham Borough Council Cheltenham Safe Team and the Cheltenham Race Course, ask us for more pastor patrols during the busiest times in Race Week. We continue to support local quality events and our volunteers patrol on Thursday and Friday of Race Week. I will be patrolling too on Gold Cup Day.”
Cheltenham Street Pastors Administrator and Coordinator Sarah Chad says “Cheltenham Street Pastors deal with a variety of needs when on patrol; the most requested item to ease the sore feet of ladies after wearing high heels is flip flops! It is these simple items that ensure they do not get their feet cut should they walk in any broken glass. We’re delighted to provide extra patrols during the Cheltenham Festival.”
Nigel Bennett continues “Street Pastors offer peaceful assistance to help anyone who needs it in our town and this includes our many visitors during the Cheltenham Festival” He says: “We never engage in confrontation, in fact our peaceful approach often sees violence cease after we arrive. This means we never interfere with the work of the Police who are often busy dealing with potential crime and disorder. Our role is to help victims of crime and often those who have got separated from friends and feel vulnerable. It is not about preaching, but about listening, caring and helping people in need”.
Street Pastors was started by the Rev Les Isaac in 2003 as a response to growing crime in some London boroughs. The scheme is run in partnership with Police, Council and other statutory agencies
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