Under the Spotlight - Tamworth Street Angels

Source

AT Tamworth Informed, we are proud to support the charity and community sector in and around Tamworth, and so we want to help raise awareness by introducing a new feature.Over the coming Months, we aim to make more people aware of the of great work that goes on, often behind the scenes and unnoticed – and we aim to do this through our ‘Under the Spotlight’ feature.

We are launching this feature by showcasing ‘Tamworth Street Angels’ and giving you an insight into what they do.

Tamworth Street Angels were formed over five years ago by Reverend Vic Van Den Bergh of St Francis Church, Leyfields.

Vic felt that Tamworth’s night-time economy could benefit from having a team of volunteers in the town at weekends – “to help keep people safe, to provide assistance when it is needed, to be a pair of helping hands and a pair of listening ears.”

The Tamworth project is one of approximately 130 similar groups in the UK and abroad. They are a Christian organisation which is affiliated with CNI (Christian Nightlife Initiative), set up by Paul Blakey MBE Halifaxax over ten years ago.

Volunteers come from all faiths or none and are encouraged to have fun when they are out and about. Current volunteers range in age from 20 to 60+ and are out in all weathers in their high-viz orange jackets emblazoned with Tamworth Street Angels so they are easily spotted!

Each team carries a first aid kit, a Townsafe radio (linked to CCTV), bottles of water, flip flops for those who have taken off their high heels and a range of other items that might come in useful!

Their presence in Tamworth Town Centre has been welcomed and applauded, not only by the weekend revellers and door staff but also by the Police and Ambulance Service, who appreciate the help given to relieve some of the pressures facing them at particularly busy times.

They say that their aim is to continue to provide support to all those involved in Tamworth’s night-time economy for many years to come.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering with Tamworth Street Angel, you can visit their Facebook page here.