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A Christian group that patrols the streets of a Kent town on Saturday nights to help stranded or drunken revellers is planning to expand.

Street Pastors have been going out in Maidstone fortnightly, but want to double volunteer numbers from 12 to 24, so they can go out weekly.
Kent Police said early crime figures showed a “marked reduction” in incidents when they were on duty.
“I, for one, am very glad they are here,” said Pc Duncan Pallett.
“They help in an amazing array of ways. Not only do they pray for people, but they offer practical solutions to problems.
“They can turn their hand to pretty much anything, be it calling taxis to offering ladies with high heels the salvation of flip flops.”

One of the volunteers, who are from local churches, said they helped with a variety of difficulties.
“A lot of people have purses stolen, or have problems getting a taxi home,” she said.
“They might have upsets with their friends and get abandoned.
“When my teenagers were growing up I used to lie in bed wishing there was someone out there to pick them up if they needed help.”

‘Take abuse’
A security spokesman for Jumpin Jaks and the Liquid and Envy nightclubs said the Street Pastors had spent time with the doormen.
“It is great because they have seen some of the abuse we have to take,” he said.

There was a training day held on 14 January but if you’re interested in the possibility of getting involved in your area then contact the Salvation Army HQ at Maidstone for more information about the work across the UK.
Tel -01622 681808 or visit them on their website – www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/maidstone

Volunteers must be Christians and complete a 12-session training course before beginning work.

How about whiling away the dark winter evenings with some stories or prose? The end of January includes both Burns Night on 25th (and it’s his 250th anniversary)

and National Storytelling Week on 31st Jan to 7th Feb. There are lots of events countrywide for this If you want to get involved contact Del Reid. e-mail: reidthewords@hotmail.com
Tel: 0208 866 4232

So draw up a few chairs, stick a log on the fire and entertain one another.

Barbara posted this under the forum discussion but I didn’t want it to get lost there as I believe it’s proper place is under inspirational ideas Jan x:

Jan came to a Woman to Woman group at the Methodist Church in Prestwich, and her talk inspired me to take the plunge and do something which I had been thinking about for over a year !! My husband died in June 2007, and, in the months which followed it seemed that the Lord was leading me to people who had experienced the same thing.Bereavement causes practical problems, as well as the obvious emotional ones, and as a single woman once more, I found it difficult to socialize. If you go out with married friends, it accentuates the fact that you are on your own, and that is very painful, as I found out to my sorrow. It is not easy to go to theatres or even the cinema, as a single woman, and even a church event can bring back memories of when you were part of a couple.

Spurred on by Jan, and prayed for…very important!!….I started a group which I called “Alone2Gether” in July of last year. At the first meeting I had 14 ladies in my living room, which is only average size, plus about 10 more who couldn’t make it on that night for various reasons !! Praise the Lord for showing me that there IS a need in my community !!! We have had outings to the Bridgewater Hall, to concerts, and also a trip around Manchester Cathedral (one of the ladies is a guide there!) and a memorable evening just before Christmas to the Manchester Evening News Arena to see a Classical Spectacular, complete with lasers, fireworks and a cannon!!

Above all though, it has brought together a group of otherwise lonely women (we now include women who are divorced or separated) and we enjoy each others’ company very much. What the Lord has in store for all of us, who knows…but it’s exciting waiting to find out !!!Watch this space…..

Barbara