History and Mission of The STREET MINISTERS Project in MK

Welcome to the STREET MINISTERS Project of Milton Keynes, working under the Fresh Inspiration Charitable Trust and established by Christians, to care for vulnerable people

Our aim is to build bridges of understanding, trust and cooperation between communities of work, faith, leisure and society and to serve people by providing a street pastor-all care system for anyone who lives in, works in, or visits the City.

We aim to do this through outreach work with volunteers who give of their time to care for, help and listen to anyone who is in need regardless of their circumstances. As a first step we have already launched the Milton Keynes STREET MINISTERS Project in September 2007.

Our History and The Project 

Since the middle of 2007, Celtic/Anglican Priest, George Booty, now a Bishop in the WCCC, was at that time the 'Chaplain To The Poorest Of The Poor',  formed as the Agape Street Pastors (as they were originally called) and had been going out to visit the homeless every night for 9 months and simply desired to build a ministry to the homeless, and/or the vulnerably housed members of the community.

In September 2007 three other members were recruited and the new programme of mercy missions took shape and became established as a true Kingdom work of God. 

The Chaplain Rev George Booty then formed The STREET MINISTERS Project in Milton Keynes and developed a plan, which many Pastors and Churches have endorsed in Milton Keynes.  Therefore, just prior to an Executive Committee being expanded and formed, this project also began to expand, to include the desire for the use of some community space with the aim of finding a voluntary sector resource centre and drop-in chat facility for the public.  This has now been realised through the newly formed charitable company BUS-STOP Drop-In & Counselling Service Limited - A not-for-profit company.   We also have an extended opportunity to help those with mental health issues at our Main Offices in Acorn House Central Milton Keynes.

Our hope was that the Local Authorities would also endorse this plan to bless the Milton Keynes City Community. Central to the business plan, is the concept of an “Inter-Denominational / Inter-Faith and Independent Community Pastoral Team”.   It is this concept, which has also been under development by the Street Ministers Executive Committee, and which consist of well known reputable team of Pastors and Leaders drawn from Christian churches and communities, in or around Milton Keynes, into what is seen to become a 'Multi-Faith Chaplaincy'.  

The Chaplaincy also includes ‘The STREET MINISTERS Project' and now the weekend patrol sections offer to work in harmony with the Police, local Authorities and the Central Milton Keynes business partnership.

Executive Committee

With the delays to initiate this development due to initial lack of funding the Chaplain and Executive Committee encouraged the churches to press ahead with The STREET MINISTERS Project in advance of the availability of community space that we had asked for.

We now patrol on Weekends usually on a Friday or Saturday evening in Milton Keynes. We normally patrol from around 9pm onwards through to 3am most weeks.  We are also seeking to find volunteers for day work, patrolling to help and encourage shoppers around the City Centre.

We usually meet up for training on Friday evenings in CMK and have varied training skills by different agencies including the British Red Cross and a Security Company, etc.

During the latter part of 2007 and early 2008 a great deal of work went into researching similar projects in other town and cities, and the development of the proposals for the Milton Keynes partnership development began to work through the MK Council's Community Safety Team, which culminated in our involvement with the CMK organised AFTER8GROUP.

The Chaplaincy and STREET MINISTERS Project now enjoy the support of a wide range of churches and other friends in the City; indeed we have won several of the prestigious Pride in MK Award's for 'Making a difference on the Streets' in 2008/9 and 'Best Volunteer' for 2009 in Milton Keynes. 

Certainly we have noted  a calmer City with crime and violence subsiding while we have been out on the streets and conclude that we have also played some part in that, as a moral presence on the streets, and believe that we will continue to do so. There are apparently 'LESS' crimes committed in the City centre nowadays!  Much is due to the Policing that goes on too.

Interestingly - Where other night-time initiatives are operating, like the Street Angels of Halifax for example, they are reported to see the reduction of Crime figures,  which are officially recorded as being much lower in those areas after patrols take place.

Volunteers now have a Handbook to use in training, which is part of the project and in September 2007 a professional training course for local STREET MINISTERS came to fruition and training of a new batch of street ministers for this street ministry.

In June 2008 the Street Ministers duty of care training manual was finished and the publication is now ready and has been sent to proof readers and graphic designers, for the artwork and logo design to be made ready, for print and distribution.   Out of this working manual and collaboration with other night time initiatives we have developed a handbook for volunteers to keep and use. 

The Vision for Milton Keynes was shared, regarding The STREET MINISTERS Project, with many other leaders of initiatives around the UK, and the Vision, with the homeless in focus, was very well received.

Our unique work with the poorest of the poor certainly impacted and caught the imagination of the other members. 

There was also a cross pollination of ideas and sharing of strategies. A good working alliance was formed at that time with all parties concerned, in particualr the Street Angels organisation in Halifax.  We now work in collaboration with Street Angels.

Phase two of the Street Ministers Project will include the recruiting of more volunteers to be trained as Street Ministers for the night time patrol work and some of which will be recruited to be active during the daytime economy, patrolling to assist shoppers in the City centre and BUS-STOP free drop-In development and taking time out to visit the vulnerably housed.  There is also a need for more volunteer chaplains.. Join us!

Council of Reference

Just prior to that time, a Council of Reference was being set up to include Pastors/Ministers who represented some 17 independent churches that were represented at pastoral level and a few Inter-Faith volunteers also as representatives.  Several Members of other agencies and VIP's have been invited to take part.

Independant Senior Church leaders, who are supportive of this Project and who may become a part of the new 'Council of Reference', are as follows- Pastors: Mark Sherratt: The Christian Centre in Oldbrook; Charles Buckman: The Fathers House Church, in Neath Hill; and Yomi Gbadegesin: The Redeemed Christian Church of God; also Pastor Leroy Maddix: Life International Church, in Great Lindford; and Pastor Gabriel Eziashi: MK Tabernacle in Westcroft; and Bishop Gerard O’Flaherty: Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, Bishop George Sembwe: Life and Power Christian Church in Leadenhall; also Chaplain. Bishop George Booty: The WCCC Chaplain to the poorest of the poor, who is also the Community Servant of a dispersed Order called Agape Community International.

Other City Leaders and Chiefs also have been invited to take part.

LATEST NEWS: The latest development - STREET MINISTERS have become contracted in official partnership with the BRITISH RED CROSS and all Street Ministers are enabled to become Red Cross First Aid Trainers/volunteers and take advantage of the 30+ training courses on offer, including Child protection!

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 STREET MINISTERS Unique Services 

The Milton Keynes STREET MINISTERS Project enjoys considerable support from friends in and around the City, and we are attempting to work closely with the Police and the Milton Keynes Borough Council as you would expect.  

Initially STREET MINISTERS in Milton Keynes will operate on Friday & Saturday nights from approx 8-9.30pm until around 4am when all the bars and clubs are closed and sometimes we are out even later helping the general public in the night-time economy.

THAMES VALLEY POLICE:

Extract of a previous Thames Valley Police poster (2008), in the campaign to help vulnerable females who are out late at night.

It said  "In addition to the poster campaign, Police will be carrying out high visibility operations around the Central Milton Keynes in the run up to Christmas and will be working closely with the STREET MINISTERS, taxi drivers and taxi marshalls to ensure vulnerable people are indentified and looked after."

It went on to give good advice to revellers... saying:-

***Some simple advice to stay safe when out enjoying yourself:

"Let someone know where you're going and what time you expect to get home.

Avoid going out for the evening alone.

Remember that alcohol affects your reactions as well as your inihibitions; you'll be less alert.

Never accept a drink from someone you don't know, and watch and guard your drink at all times.

Stay with friends, don't go off on your own.

Think about what you are drinking and beware that measures vary.

Don't go off with someone you have just met.

Make sure your where your friend is and who she is with.".

We think this is excellent advice and endorse the Police statement above!

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In time we hope to expand the Milton Keynes STREET MINISTERS Project to also cover other days than Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as we wish to be more active in the day time economy too.  Bringing a fuller day presence could be really helpful to the community; which is something we look forward to do, and currently this is being researched and developed in and around the City centre.  We need more Volunteers!

STREET MINISTERS and similar other programmes, such as:- Street Angels, Town Pastors, etc, have been springing up across the UK over the last 2-3 years. They make a really positive impact on crime and antisocial behaviour in cities, towns and centres (particularly in the vicinity of bars and clubs) by providing a calming presence on the streets late at night and sober witnesses to assist the emergency services of Fire, Medical staff, Police and local authorities. 

Unique here?:  We are unique in that we offer to train people to undertake the role of ministering shepherds, who are basically street ministers who are pastors, or chaplains, to the poorest of the poor of our society. 

The Street Ministers' primary concern is aimed at working pastorally with the homeless of our community and therefore we seek to have various Street Ministers go out very late at night, and hopefully with enough volunteers we will be able to cover every night, wherever practically possible, to ensure that the 'genuine homeless' have a pastoral covering (a safety net) by people who are fully trained as street 'Pastors' or 'Ministers' in this organisation..

Collaboration is our main aim

The STREET MINISTERS Project now has a new local area Coordinator Deaconess Annette Christian who has a responsible position in the recruitment, CRB checking, training, deployment and support for volunteer pastors, team leaders and our special volunteers in the STREET MINISTERS, as well as for future publicity.

The Coordinator and project manager both work to find collaboration with the Police (who also support this type of initiative elsewhere) and all emergency services, Borough Council, City Centre Managers, door staff, security, businesses and many other agencies in Milton Keynes. We do not always agree on everything but hopefully in time we will all attempt a compromise.

We have faith that many more STREET MINISTERS will be recruited in Milton Keynes, particularly when we begin to attract more publicity as human interest stories emerge locally in the media.

WCCC Chaplain To The Poorest Of The Poor

The WCCC Chaplain To The Poorest Of The Poor will continue to lead as the Chairman of the Executive Committee.  In so doing he will also work in collaboration with church Pastors, as the Street Ministers' Chaplain and therefore will minister and represent any Christians who are volunteer members involved in The STREET MINISTERS Project.  

As the WCCC Chaplain he will work in the City centre life with other existing and personally recruited volunteer Chaplains, building productive and trusting relationships with the city centre community. He is supported by a number of volunteer Chaplains, and in time, he will recruit more volunteers working with specific businesses or business/leisure sectors in the town centre (including companies, department stores, theatres, shopping centres, nightclubs, banks, civic offices and leisure locations).

The Chaplaincy to the poorest of the poor will bring a spiritual dimension to city centre life. It will build bridges of understanding, trust and cooperation between communities of work, faith, leisure and society and to provide a caring, listening presence for anyone who lives in, works in, or visits the City centre.

The WCCC Chaplain will offer to represent this area of the Christian community (and perhaps the wider faith community) to many City groups and Equality Initiatives and with other Police liason groups, and will attempt to work with businesses and organisations to ensure that churches play their full role in supporting the well-being of the City centre.

The Chaplain will also oversee The STREET MINISTERS Project including the new BUS-STOP Free Drop-In & Counselling Service operating at the Central Milton Keynes market place. Also the other areas being patrolled in Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Stony Stratford,  Bletchley and Wolverton.

The WCCC Chaplain and volunteer Multi-Faith Chaplains / Pastors, etc, will be available on a confidential basis for people in the town centre to support their emotional and spiritual well-being, including the offer to visit local businesses with the agreement of the management and staff.

The WCCC Chaplaincy service will be open to all without discrimination. Chaplains are motivated by their faith to care for people and communities. Their role is not to preach, rather to offer care and comfort and a listening ear to people of any faith or none.

The WCCC Chaplaincy will offer to complement and hopefully include existing provision and services offered in the day time economy, including other Chaplaincies in Milton Keynes; such as the Milton Keynes Development Chaplaincy and at the Cornerstone Church, Christian Foundation, YMCA, College, University, in the Police and at the Hospital and Prison. We wish to work in harmony with all the other agencies in Milton Keynes.

So join us and help and remember- YOUR CITY NEEDS YOU..!

Ways that you can help to support us,

1). Obviously by joining and becoming a Street Minister in your area. 

2). By inviting one or more of our leaders to speak to your Church meeting, or home group, or your individual community

3). Join our Facebook group here: The Street Ministers Project  

Many people think of the homeless at Christmas, but they are with us all year around.  We need your support every day and especially on the Sunday and Tuesday Soup Runs. Come on.... Volunteer!

4. Prayer Intercessors:

If you are unable to help Street MInisters physically by joining in on a Soup Run, or Patrolling or Visitation work.  Please be assured that there are still many ways which you could help support Street Ministers.   We need help from financial fund raisers and prayer partners - why not adopt a Street Minister and cover the Pastor or Minder with a hedge of prayer, although we try to minimise any danger to our volunteers, it can be potentially dangerous on the City streets late at night.

5. Partnering :

You could help by becoming a Partner with Street Ministers and again you could consider supporting a Street Minister and / or unofficially adopting a homeless person by supporting financially - in giving regularly every month, perhaps through a regular Standing Order payment from your Bank or Building Society to the STREET MINISTERS Project.   A donation of just £5 a week can certainly help us keep a homeless person alive.  

6). Sponsoring the Street ministers work  in some way, perhaps a Jacket ADVERTISING - sponsorship by your local Church or Business, or an advert on the Street Ministers' Bus.

We need your support. 

Apart from future staff required, whom we shall employ part time to start with, we are mainly all volunteers and have expenses to run vehicles, to provide food, drinks, also to supply sleeping bags, tents, gloves, socks and occassionally trainers, jumpers, coats, toiletries, and operate the Safe house Minibus that we use at night, etc.

Please write or call to get more information.  Thank You!

Fresh Inspiration Charitable Trust: Reg No. 1116703 A company limited by guarantee

Or normal Email: office@streetministers.org

or Tel:  07799 847720