SHREWSBURY STREET PASTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
Shrewsbury Street Pastors Annual Report 2024/2025
The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31st March 2025. Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ issued in 2005 in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity is constituted as an unincorporated association and is governed by a Trust Deed dated 8 August 2011. It was registered with the Charity Commission on 28 October 2011, with operational activities commencing on 12 November 2011.
Governance is entrusted to a group of appointed trustees, none of whom hold any financial interest
in the charity. Oversight and strategic management are provided by a Management Committee, which convenes bimonthly. The process for appointing trustees is outlined in the Trust Deed.
Objectives and activities
As a Local Initiative of the Global Street Pastor Movement, our mission is to engage, train and mobilise Christian volunteers from diverse church backgrounds. We seek to be a relevant and compassionate presence in public life — acting as salt and light — by addressing vulnerability and social exclusion through the principles of caring, listening, and helping.
We work collaboratively with the police, local authorities, and voluntary
organisations to promote positive engagement and foster greater social cohesion within our community.
Street Pastors Core Values
The Street Pastor Movement embraces Christians from a range of denominations with a passion for Jesus and for the betterment of the community, who adhere to the following five (5) core values:
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The Sacredness and Sanctity of Human Life
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Valuing and Honouring the Community
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Being a Person of Integrity
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Taking Personal Responsibility
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Promoting the Growth and Development of the Individual to their Fullest Potential
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SHREWSBURY STREET PASTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
Shrewsbury Street Pastors
Legal and administrative information
Our Office Space Our offices at White Hart House, 1 Hill’s Lane, Shrewsbury SY1 1QU are now rented premises.
HQ Volunteers
Volunteers regularly assist with charity operations in our office, supported by the Director of Operations.
Fundraising is managed by the Friends of Shrewsbury Street Pastors Group, who organise events like concerts, jumble sales, and raffles.
31 March 2024
Working name of charity
Shrewsbury Street Pastors
Trustees
Pete Lawton, Chairman
Pauline Jones, Secretary Jo Neale Bernard Knopp
Carole Donoghue Ivan Hacking Dee Ploszay Christine Tinker
Registered Charity Number: 1144473
Registered Address: White Hart House, 1 Hill’s Lane, Shrewsbury, SY1 1QU
Independent Examiner:
RLW Accountants
Castle Green, Ludlow Road, Little Stretton, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6RB
Bankers:
The co-operative bank
P.O.Box 250 Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
.
Website:
www.shrewsburystreetpa stors.org.uk
Email address :
shrewsbury@streetpastors. org.uk
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SHREWSBURY STREET PASTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
Mission Statement
We train church volunteers to offer support and practical help to those in need. Our team patrols Shrewsbury's streets on Friday and Saturday nights, working with police, councils, and other organisations to assist anyone requiring help. While our work is inspired by the Gospel, we focus on providing non-judgmental aid to all.
Support from local churches
Since its formation, Shrewsbury Street Pastors has been actively supported by the following churches. This vital support is greatly appreciated.
Albert Road, Evangelical Church, Oswestry. All Saints and St Michael's Church, Castlefields. Wem Baptist Church. St Lawrence’s Church, Church Stretton. Barnabas Community Church, Shrewsbury. Holy Trinity Church, Much Wenlock.
Belle Vue Methodist Church. Bayston Hill Methodist Church Catholic Cathedral, Shrewsbury. St Giles & St Eata’s Church, Shrewsbury. Christ Church, Bayston Hill.
Bomere Heath Methodist Church
Church of the Holy Spirit, Harlescott. Emmanuel Church, Harlescott. Holy Trinity Church, Belle Vue. Hope Church, Harlescott. Riversway Elim Church, Harlescott. Salvation Army, Shrewsbury. Shelton and Oxon Christ Church, Bicton. Shrewsbury Abbey, St Andrew's Church, Craven Arms. St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury. St Peter's Church, Monkmoor. St. Winifred’s RC Church, Crowmoor. Holy Trinity Churches, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury United Reformed Church, Shrewsbury.
St Cuthbert’s Church, Clungunford. Greek Orthodox Church, Shrewsbury. Severn Loop Parishes.
Prayer support
Prayer plays a key role in supporting Shrewsbury Street Pastors, focusing on strength, guidance, safety, financial provision, and ongoing development.
A Prayer Co-ordinator leads eight regular supporters who pray together or with teams before patrols.
Each Street Pastor has a Prayer Partner for regular support, though there are currently no Prayer Pastors available for mentoring during challenging times.
Additionally, several churches and home groups regularly pray for the team and those working in Shrewsbury’s night-time economy.
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SHREWSBURY STREET PASTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
A primary function is the protection of young adults who come from a wide catchment area to socialise in Shrewsbury’s town centre on a weekend. While many of Shrewsbury’s venues provide a relatively safe place for people to meet, inevitably some encounter difficulty following a heady cocktail of too much alcohol, recreational drugs, high emotions and relationship difficulties. Part of the mission is to intervene before people call the emergency services, providing pre-emptive support for people in the town centre.
The service is welcomed for being direct and impartial, providing support in a non-judgmental way. Additional services include the referral of individuals with mental health issues to supporting organisations such as The Samaritans and Shropshire Mental Health Charity known locally as "Sanctuary". Our training includes Suicide Prevention, First Aid, Radio Training, Drugs and Alcohol, Youth Culture and Mental Health First Aid. This training is provided by professional specialists.
We monitor rough sleepers, ensuring that The Shrewsbury Ark Day Centre for homeless people is notified when necessary and we do what we can to keep them safe. There has been an expansion of the support provided to the homeless with a greater emphasis on those with mental health issues as well as those who are now referred to as street sleepers.
We have a support vehicle, called The Donkey shared with West Mercia Police, which we use as a Safe Place to get vulnerable people off the streets. This is used alongside our walking patrols which consist of 3- 6 trained volunteers, accompanied by a driver and helper on our support vehicle.
Our teams keep an eye on everyone out at the weekends to ensure they are as safe as possible, keeping those inebriated away from the potential danger of the River Severn. We can provide water to those dehydrated, flip-flops to those who cannot walk in their shoes, a space blanket to those who are cold, a sick bag so taxis will take them home, or a phone call to those who are separated from friends or family to reunite them, or lollipops to defuse aggression. More challenging are those people who have suicide tendencies, mental health issues, or relationship problems. The teams are trained to recognise who needs professional intervention and can make referrals to Sanctuary, a partnership with Shropshire Mental Health Charity, Samaritans, the local Neighbourhood Policing team and us.
Our teams are trained to listen and be non-judgmental in their approach to everyone, helping with whatever is needed, whether it is a plaster, a tissue or a prayer if requested. We work with any of the homeless people at the weekend when all other support is unavailable. We can offer hot drinks, biscuits, blankets, a Winter Survival kit, which includes socks, a hat, gloves etc. and referral to other professional agencies if required. We carry first aid equipment with us, so we can clean wounds, supply plasters, call an ambulance if necessary or do whatever is required.
The River Severn runs in a loop through the centre of our town, which means all the nighttime venues are within two minutes’ walk from a very fast flowing river prone to flooding, so keeping revellers safe, and people who are at significant risk of committing suicide is a life-threatening reality. Shrewsbury’s vibrant night-time economy serves a large rural area of our county.
Shrewsbury has retained the prestigious Purple Flag award in recognition of a ‘Safe Place’ to party. Street Pastors was influential in achieving this award.
All volunteers remain motivated and committed to our work on the streets. Street Pastor teams are a constant factor now in town as we are out every weekend. Our local young people generally go out for the evening with friends, but they know that Shrewsbury Street Pastors are there if things get difficult and start to go wrong. We have a proven track record, and we are now recognised by young people who can trust that we are there to support and help them, as necessary. Young people are now proactive in finding us when they need us and will approach the door staff to call us on their radios. We have established links and have a good reputation with all the main support agencies in the locality such as Shrewsbury Mental Health services, Samaritans, Police, Ambulance and Fire and Rescue services. We also liaise closely with Taxi Marshalls to ensure people get home safely.
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SHREWSBURY STREET PASTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
The door staff contact us, using their Pub-Watch radios, a recognised method of communication when they need help with issues involving alcohol, drugs, minor first aid requirements, suicide threats or a mental health crisis as they know our teams are trained and able to help.
Our trustees have established a fundraising working group. The aim of this group is to raise funds to pay office rental but also to equip the new support vehicle that has been supplied by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
At the start of the new year, we launched a recruitment campaign with the local churches, and this has resulted in 5 new Street Pastors starting their training recently. We also have 5 volunteers who have indicated that they will serve as support vehicle drivers and buddies. We will continue to work with the local churches to recruit more volunteers to serve as Street Pastors out on the streets of Shrewsbury.
During the year ahead:
• Our priority is to recruit more volunteers as Street Pastors and Prayer Pastors through promotion to churches throughout Shropshire.
• We will continue to promote “The Friends of Shrewsbury Street Pastors”, which was launched on 28 November 2013. Its aim is to encourage all Shropshire people, companies and organisations, to become involved with SSP, raise regular funds and promote the initiative.
• Continue to promote SSP and raise awareness of the initiative amongst the local media, churches and other relevant organisations in Shropshire. To attend local events to have a presence and promote SSP, with a view to recruiting new volunteers and raising funds. Most of this task will invariably be carried out by the Friends of SSP volunteer group.
• Collaborate with other SPIs in West Mercia (there are now 6), the Midlands and Wales Regions, in training volunteers. Refresher training for existing trained volunteers is planned in 2024, and also other relevant training, such as First Aid, Suicide Prevention and River Safety.
• Continue to attend meetings of Team Shrewsbury, West Mercia Police, Churches Together Shrewsbury, Pubwatch and other relevant organisations with a view to working in partnership on local initiatives, to help keep the streets of Shrewsbury safer for all who live and work here and visit the town centre, particularly on weekend nights.
• Continue to be an active member of Team Shrewsbury.
• Continue to invite and encourage any interested persons, in particular potential recruits, to join the Street Pastors patrol as an Observer.
• Advise and assist other Shropshire towns, and towns within West Mercia Police area, with the setting up of an SPI in those areas.
Reserves policy
The Trustees are of the opinion that the charity should have unrestricted reserves equivalent to approximately three to six months expenditure, and the charity intends to build up the free reserves and maintain them at such a level.
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SHREWSBURY STREET PASTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
Approval
This report was approved by the board of trustees on 4[th] August 2025 on its behalf.
Stephen Jones Director of Operation
This is also known as Church in action on the streets.
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Shrewsbury Street Pastors
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Report to the trustees of Shrewsbury Street Pastors
On accounts for the year ended 31st March 2025
Charity number 1144473
Set out on pages 7-9
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 31st March 2025
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustess, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act").
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination other than that disclosed below which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accouting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Ruth Whiting FCA, DCha RLW Accountants Chartered Accountant
Castle Green, Ludlow Road Little Stretton, Shropshire SY6 6RB
Date 4th August 2025
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Shrewsbury Street Pastors
| Receipts and Payments Account Year ended 31st March 2025 Receipts Grants from organisations Donations including Gift Aid Contributions for training and uniform Employment allowance claims 2023 and 2024 Insurance refunds Total receipts Payments Charitable activities Uniform Training and recruitment Consumables Telephone and radio expenses Ascension Trust licence Repairs and maintenance Travel and subsistence Rent Light and heat Insurance Postage and stationery Computer consumables Meeting costs Wages and salaries Employers NI Employers Pension Pension service charges Payroll Sundries Fundraising and publicity Governance costs - Accountancy Asset and investment purchases Fixtures, fittings and equipment Total payments Net payments Cash funds last year end Cash fund this year end |
Hotspots Restricted Unrestricted Total 2025 2025 2025 30,000 - 30,000 - 15,969 15,969 - - - - - - - - - 30,000 15,969 45,969 607 30 637 544 806 1,350 164 799 963 - 1,125 1,125 - 1,234 1,234 - 438 438 - 838 838 - 4,667 4,667 - 380 380 - 86 86 5 440 445 - 117 117 167 - 167 2,250 16,063 18,313 - - - - 333 333 - 180 180 - 195 195 399 - 399 547 733 1,280 - 900 900 4,683 29,364 34,047 1,666 - 1,666 6,349 29,364 35,713 23,651 (13,395) 10,256 - 28,613 28,613 23,651 15,218 38,869 |
Unrestricted 2024 Total 2,750 25,325 400 1,754 3,804 34,033 273 458 710 687 882 500 150 3,333 160 245 266 520 - 15,727 1,041 339 180 165 272 1,372 840 28,120 1,056 29,176 4,857 23,756 28,613 |
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Shrewsbury Street Pastors
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities Year ended 31st March 2025 Cash Funds Bank Accounts Cash in hand Total cash funds Assets retained for charities own use Fixtures, fittings and equipment at cost |
Hotspots Restricted Unrestricte 2025 £ £ £ 23,651 15,041 38,692 - 177 177 23,651 15,218 38,869 1,666 7,855 9,521 |
2024 £ 28,218 395 28,613 7,855 |
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| Sundry debtors | |
|---|---|
| West Mercia Hotspots continuation grant | £10,000 |
| Sahnnon Commin | £399 |
| Sundry creditors | |
| HMRC PAYE | £755 |
| Ascension Trust | £358 |
| Stephen Jones | £1,296 |
| RLW Accountants | £600 |
The receipts and payments accounts were approved by the Trustees on 4th August 2025 and are signed on their behalf by:
Stephen Jones Director of Operations
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