TAVISTOCK Street Pastors marked its 10th anniversary on Monday with a service of celebration at Abbey Chapel.

The chapel was full with pastors, past and present, police representatives from Devon and Cornwall, local landlords and local dignitaries, including Tavistock deputy mayor Cllr Andy Hutton and deputy mayor of West Devon Cllr Caroline Mott.

Key members of the team said they were delighted to mark the milestone with more than 100 members of the community.

Street Pastors was an initiative launched in Tavistock in 2009 as a way to strengthen community life and make the streets safer with Christians becoming practically involved and responding to the national problems of crime and safety.

Working closely with police, door staff and paramedics, pastors spend Friday and Saturday nights looking after the welfare of the town’s residents by patrolling the streets offering help to those who may be vulnerable or in distress.

Celebrating 10 years brings the total of night-time patrols to 782, 1,591 flipflops given out, countless lollipops, 130 police incidents and 117 first aid incidents.

Co-ordinator for Tavistock Street Pastors Rob Palmer said: ‘The first patrol team ventured out in late November 2009, not really knowing what they would find, nor how they would be received.

‘We hope that the main impact has been that certain things don’t happen that otherwise might have done: How many windows didn’t get broken, how many fights didn’t start, how many people didn’t get hurt?

‘It’s not about numbers, it’s about individual people. We’ve ensured people have got home safely and we’ve listened to individuals as they tell their story about personal difficulties.’

Tavistock police inspector Mark Sloman praised the work of the street pastors: ‘Tavistock is a safer and calmer place when they are out patrolling. They have a fantastic knack of being in the right place at the right time and their ability to defuse potentially aggressive situations not only saves the police from becoming involved but more importantly it prevents people from becoming victims of crimes.

‘The pastors don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk and they really do make Tavistock a safer place. I look forward to continuing our work with them for another ten years.’

At the celebration, deputy chief constable Paul Netherton highlighted how important the team was to the welfare of the town: ‘I was here ten years ago when you first started. You are an inspiration to me. As the president of the Christian Police Association, I give talks all over the country and I always rave about Tavistock Street Pastors.

‘As a senior police officer, I want to say thank you. You have saved loves. You make a real difference in your community. Tavistock is a special place and you are part of that.’

Tavistock has more than 60 dedicated members of the team all from nine different churches in the area. Their dedication has meant that pastors have been able to branch out to Friday lunchtime patrols and the introduction of school pastors at Tavistock College.

Rob added: ‘Since January 2017, we’ve also been patrolling in teams of two on Friday lunchtimes, meeting the needs of those in our community who are a little older, perhaps some living alone, who would appreciate a listening ear.’

Street Pastor Jo Wright said: ‘It’s about the community and speaking to those people living alone or people who don’t want to come to church, or can’t make it, so we are the church that go to them. We listen, we care, we help.’

She added: ‘In the night it’s a response to alcohol and drug behaviour; at lunchtimes it’s a response to loneliness and at school it’s providing a welcome adult presence to meet the needs of youngsters.

‘We have a heart for people and we help, without pushing them into religion — but being a street pastor is a specific calling.’

Kevin Mundy, who recently joined Tavistock Street Pastors, said: ‘Not all street pastors have the same backgrounds and we don’t force their religion down their throats.

‘What I like is when the people who don’t want to talk to you come over to you six months later and talk to you. We are not there to debate and argue. We are there so that the people out there enjoying themselves get home safely.’

Rob said: ‘We see far fewer young people out late, we pick up fewer glass bottles and there is generally less trouble after closing time.

‘To the people we meet on the streets, we love the conversations that we have with you and we really appreciate the warmth and good humour you so often share with us.’