Since February 2012, volunteer Street Angels have been out in Windsor town centre at night, offering care and a calm, friendly presence and helping to keep vulnerable people safe. Today they patrol every Friday and Saturday night from 9.30pm to 4am, and their hub on Victoria Street is open on Saturday nights from 10pm to 3am.
Wearing their distinctive blue jackets, the Angels help anyone who may be vulnerable or in need – offering water, flip-flops, lollipops, blankets, soup for those sleeping rough, or simply a listening ear. They give basic first aid where needed and, when necessary, call an ambulance or the police. They have helped more than 30,000 people since their first shift: in a typical year that means over 4,000 people helped, around 1,000 pairs of flip-flops and 600 bottles of water handed out, and dozens of tense situations calmed.
Watch: a short video introduction to Windsor Street Angels, filmed by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, shows the Angels at work.
The scheme was set up under the umbrella of Churches Together in Windsor. Responsibility for Street Angels then passed to Windsor Christian Action (WCA), a registered charity which now operates as Alma Beacon and also runs the Windsor Homeless Project and Windsor FoodShare. The Angels work closely with Thames Valley Police, the ambulance service and licensed premises, and are supported by organisations including the Michael Shanly Foundation, Radian Housing, the Edith Murphy Foundation, the Prince Philip Trust, the Windsor and Maidenhead Christian Trust, Windsor Baptist Church and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. For more information, see the WCA website: https://www.windsorchristianaction.org
Could you be a Street Angel? Anyone over 18 can volunteer, and free training is given. You don’t need to volunteer every week – many Angels help around once a month. Register your interest on the Street Angels volunteer page and you’ll be invited along to observe a shift, or email wcastreetangels@gmail.com.
Street Angels would like prayer support. Would you be willing to be a praying angel either as an individual or in a prayer group? Susan Hinds (01753 858123) would like to hear of new or existing prayer groups willing to commit themselves to praying each week for Street Angels.
You can also visit https://streetangelswindsor.org/ to learn more.