Street Angels Press Release

Partygoers in Manchester city centre will be touched by angels this weekend, as police officers team up with volunteers to help drive home safety messages.

A team of Street Angels from The Nexus Project in the Northern Quarter will be accompanying police and descending on The Printworks to offer advice and guidance and to encourage visitors to ‘Think Safe Drink Safe’.

Volunteers, which include members of Manchester city centre churches, will be fully equipped with high visibility jackets bearing the words ‘Street Angel’, as well as Nite Net radios to connect them to the CCTV control room on High Street.

During their first night this Saturday, they will be handing out lollipops to help keep revellers quiet as they leave pubs, bars and clubs and will also be directing people to nearby taxi ranks and bus stops so they can get safe transport home. People wanting to enjoy a coffee to help them sober up, or wait for private hire vehicles will be encouraged to visit the Nexus Night Cafe on Dale Street.

Sergeant Jan Brown from GMP’s City Safe unit said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Street Angels to help keep visitors to the city centre even safer during a night out. The Nexus Project forms part of the City Safe strategy to help raise awareness about responsible drinking, aiming to make people less vulnerable so they don’t fall victim to crime, including sexual assaults. Along with the Angels, local officers are encouraging revellers to pace their drinks, stick with friends, take a taxi they can trust and say no to trouble. By listening to these simple tips, partygoers can enjoy a festive night without fear of becoming a victim”.

Reverend Cris Acher from The Nexus Project said: “The Street Angels have been established to work with the police to keep people safe, especially at the end of the night when they are most vulnerable. The volunteers are from a range of backgrounds and ages, but all have one thing in common – a willingness to give something back to the community. They have received inputs from police officers and NHS staff about health and safety, as well as training about communication. We are always looking for more volunteers and hopefully we can bolster the team over the coming months to make the Street Angels an even more valuable resource for those people enjoying the city’s pubs, bars and clubs”.

The Street Angels scheme is being piloted during one of Manchester’s busiest weekends on the run up to Christmas and will continue in the New Year. Currently, The Nexus Project has 22 volunteers who assist in the night time cafe, with six people currently recruited as Street Angels.

Anybody wanting to join the team should contact Cris Acher on 0161 236 0100 or by logging onto www.nexusonline.org.uk