WREXHAM STREET PASTORS 2023 ANNUAL REPORT
This annual report covers the period from January 2023 until December 2023. It would be fair to say that the Wrexham nighttime economy has not bounced back to what it used to be before the Covid pandemic. Many of the pubs have either closed or the management has changed. There are also many vacant shops within the city centre that impacts negatively on the city itself. The one big positive ray of hope for the city has been the excellent results that the Wrexham Football Club have experienced since the takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in November 2020. The promotion of the Club over the last two years has drawn worldwide attention. This has translated into an increase in foreign tourism not only to the city but to North Wales as well. Wrexham Street Pastors has continued to build on the upward momentum of 2022 where we were able to be out patrols on most Saturdays throughout the year. We are again grateful for a year in which we saw our Street Pastor volunteers respond to the calling of working together with the Wrexham City Council and the Police to make the Wrexham nightime economy safer for everyone.
Three Trustee and Steering Group meetings and one general meeting were held during the year. There were no changes to the Board of Trustees during 2023. We wish however to pay our respects to our previous chairperson – Art Ellinson - who has passed away. At the start of 2023 we had 20 active Street Pastors and efforts were ongoing to try and recruit more Street Pastors.
A Social gathering was also held at the end of January 2023 at the Hope Street Church. The purpose of this gathering was to assess how the Street Pastors and Prayer Partners felt about the coming year and ask them to please try and assist in the recruiting of new Street Pastors. The Annual Barbeque get together was held in October 2023 and was well attended. It was decided that the annual year end function that is normally held in December would be moved to January 2024. Weekly Wrexham Street Pastor updates were sent to all the Trustees, Steering Group Members, Street Pastors, Prayer Partners.
On behalf of the Trustees and the Steering Group we wish to express our sincere gratitude to each and every Wrexham Street Pastor volunteer for the continued commitment and support this dedicated team has provided. We also want to express our real appreciation for the Prayer Partners who continually intercede in prayer for the Street Pastors and other Street Pastor initiatives. A number of Street Pastors
faced some difficult challenging health choices during the year which led to them either retiring as Street Pastors or curtailing their involvement. Several of the team went above and beyond their call as volunteers to ensure that we were able to continue serving the community, not only as Street Pastors, but also doing other support work through their local churches. The Wrexham Street Pastor volunteers are drawn from at least 11 different churches and 2 Christian organisations.
As the Wrexham Street Pastor Coordinator, I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to all the Wrexham Street Pastors, Prayer Partners as well as everyone else who is involved supporting Wrexham Street Pastors. This includes our valued partners namely Ascension Trust, Wrexham City County Borough Council, North Wales Police, together with other organisations within the nighttime economy as well as those who have provided funding to support the Wrexham Street Pastors in the past.
Street Patrols January 2023 until December 2023. .
Wrexham Street Pastors conducted 40 patrols during the year. Six less than the previous year. We had 17 active Street Pastors who went out on patrol. Collectively a total of approximately 592 volunteer hours were undertaken during the course of the year. This truly reflects the dedication of the team. The information that is recorded monthly from the patrols that took place continued to confirm the positive role that Wrexham Street Pastors fulfils within the nighttime economy. During these patrols 480 bottles and 605 cans were removed from the streets. 2 space blankets were given out, and 90 pairs of flip flops were donated to grateful members of the public. During these patrols a total of 446 meaningful interactions or positive encounters with members of the public took place. All of these interactions and actions contributed towards helping make Wrexham a safer and more peaceful place as well as providing the added benefit of making a positive difference in many people’s lives.
Wrexham Street Pastors regularly interact positively with the nighttime economy partners who participate in making the Wrexham nighttime economy safer. The Welfare Centre at Hafan-Y-Dref has been staffed on Saturday evenings by a private medical company appointed by the City Council. Wrexham Street Pastors have passed on 3 referrals during patrols to the medical team at the centre who have done outstanding work. It should be mentioned that since the appointment of the private medical company Wrexham Street Pastors have had a substantial reduction in the number of medically related cases that needed attending to solely by us.
General Community Support
Many of the volunteers who are part of the Wrexham Street Pastor initiative also served the Wrexham community through other channels during this year under review.
As the Coordinator I would like to express my grateful appreciation for all the support, commitment and encouragement that was expressed during the year. We also sadly say goodbye to those who have chosen to retire and we wish them everything of the best in the years ahead. Thank you once again, one and all, for your continued support and encouragement which is, as always, greatly appreciated. Many blessings.
Laurie Searle
Coordinator – Wrexham Street & School Pastors September 2024 Charity Number: 1162341
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR 31 DECEMBER 2023 Ch•rlty nwnb•r 1162341 2 SIML Bnt. Wrexlwn. LL115FF
FINANCIAL 8TATEIAEHT8 YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 CONTENf8 PAGE8 Sta&ement of a1 lablAios
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RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOiIT3 YEAR ENC 31 DECEMBER 21>23 2023 1122 REC&PTS 17 3.714 249 Gt A#J r•J•vr•d TOTAL ftECEIPT8 1023 Op•[lIa CCPAS •xp• 326 1085 Ebwnl 211 492• 1711 I&M4 1&10• 1&014
Page 3 WREXHAM STREET PASTORS STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIA81UTES 31 DECEMBER 2023 2023 CASH FUNDS Lloyd5 TS8 KOnI Cagh in hand 15,959 1S0 17.864 TOTAL CASH FUNDS 16,109 18,014 LIA81LITIES l•es rrints1ra1 s 1,455 655 232 TOTAL LIABILITIES 2.246 We hav• wep8Ygts thoe f#)3rK41 In a¢ttrfdarte records 4NI gNn to •NJ verify t stsw•nl d assets as * 31 D•cember 2023. FiW& L Finansurg Limrt•d Oal•J. 9th Ikiob•f 2024 These stalenwits w•r• awovod ty tr tru81••S tyl .. . on behaw ,IK o&Lrf 21t d are snod