Antrim and Newtownabbey
STREET PASTORS
Extracts from 2022 Annual General Meeting
This was the first face to face AGM since the start of the Pandemic.
We are glad to say that throughout the Pandemic our members were out on the street as soon as regulations allowed albeit in somewhat reduced numbers. We thank our associated churches for their continued support. We also thank the PSNI and Antrim and Newtownabbey Council for their perseverance with us. We have
included some of the photographs we have taken and have appeared on Facebook and on our website over the last nine years.
It is nine full years since we first sallied forth onto the streets of Newtownabbey and now we look back on two years that have posed great challenges for all of us in every aspect of our lives. We had hoped that Lockdown would last eight weeks but normality did not return after that period and we all have challenges that we never expected especially in health and well-being.
The work of the Trustees is to oversee the running of ANSP and ensure that there is proper governance and propriety in how we do our business.
In this we have to comply with the requirements of the bodies who
fund us and the Charity Commission, which oversees the proper running of registered charities. I am pleased to say that we are
satisfied that our operations meet all the requirements placed on us and that is due to the diligence of the office bearers and volunteers. We must remember that we are a group of volunteers and we depend on the commitment and passion of ourselves for how well we function. Each of us has a responsibility
to contribute to the efficient and effective operation on Street Pastors even if it is only ensuring that we respond on time for the call for availability or making ourselves available for training etc. During the year for a variety of reasons we have had a number of changes in the Management Team. We thank those who have left and welcome those who have so graciously stepped forward to breach the gaps.
I remain convinced of the value of our contribution to our community through the feet we put on the streets week in and out. The needs of this community have not diminished, and I believe that we continue to bring the presence of God out with us on patrol. We live in a world that is increasingly in turmoil.
Covid has been followed by economic uncertainty and challenges, war and conflict, and political instability locally and globally. I am reminded of the words of St Paul in Ephesians chapter 6 where he reminds us that we wrestle not just with flesh and blood but with rulers and authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.
However, in the verses following this St Paul sets out the spiritual armour that God provides for us to overcome these powers and to proclaim the wonderful gospel of the Risen Saviour. However, discouraged or daunted we may be
by the issues we face as Street Pastors or in our own lives, we know that the power and the victory is not dependent on our strength but on the power of Christ in us and through us.
We say goodbye to our Chairman Paul Solari and thank him for his support during his time in Office. We also Welcome Avril O`Neill as our new Co-Ordinator along with David Duncan as our new Chairman and hope that they will be blessed in their roles. We also take this opportunity to thank Hazel for all the work she has done since shortly after we started.
Below in tabular form are some of our statistics for last year
| statistics for last year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottles/glasses lifted | 430 | ||||
| Flip-fops used | 0 | ||||
| First aid kit used | 1 | ||||
| Assistpeople to transport | ~~0~~ | ||||
| Street Pastor cardsgiven out | ~~4~~ | ||||
| Emergencyservices called | ~~2~~ | ||||
| Referral to other agency/ser~~v~~ | |||||
| ~~ice~~ | ~~0~~ | ||||
| Number of People Engaged | |||||
| ~~3078~~ | |||||
| Disturbance/anti-social beh | |||||
| ~~aviour~~ | ~~24~~ | ||||
| Prevention of assault | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| General assistance & advice | 16 | ||||
| Spiritual conversation | 46 | ||||
| Prayer | 3 | ||||
| Spontaneous thanks | 161 | ||||
| Other | 0 | ||||
| Number of Businesses | ~~50~~ | ||||
| Number of Street/Prayer Pas~~t~~ | ~~ors~~ | ~~304~~ | |||
| Hours | ~~985~~ | ||||
| Number of teams | 129 |
Contact details: Phone: 07543937436 Email: Newtownabbey@streetpastors.org.uk
Coordinator
Antrim and Newtownabbey Street Pastors 267 Antrim Road Glengormley BT36 7QN
Please consider joining us, we are recruiting Street Pastors and Prayer Pastors on a regular basis.
Training is provided and there is an opportunity to go out with a team as an Observer on Friday and Saturday nights.
We are registered with the Charity Commission for NI. No. 107602