One year on: Newbury street pastors warmly received on Saturday nights

The murder mystery evening, attended by more than 100 people, at Hermitage Village Hall earlier in March, raised £970 for Newbury Street Pastors, which was officially launched on March 31 last year.
The local group was set up by a partnership between nine Newbury churches, with the aims of making the church more relevant in society and doing its bit to clamp down on anti-social behaviour in the town.
Organiser Debi Arden-Hunt said: “On patrol nights, the volunteers have received an incredibly warm welcome from the people they meet.
“Sometimes they have provided a listening ear or helped defuse a potentially aggressive situation.
"On other occasions they have located taxis for vulnerable people and provided plasters, wet wipes, flip-flops, safety blankets, water and lollipops.
“They work alongside the police and doormen to make Newbury a safer place for all on a Saturday night.”