Volunteering

 

We are looking for a new Chair of Trustees from October 2024

This is fabulous opportunity to join with Cambridge Street Pastors (https://www.cambridgestreetpastors.org.uk) by becoming our Chair of Trustees (volunteer role).

Street Pastors is a valuable Christian project (https://www.streetpastors.org/) with our local initiative established as a charity and serving God and the community in the city since 2009.

Details about the Chair of Trustee role and responsibilities below: 
Chair of Cambridge Street Pastors
This Role Specification is in addition to the general responsibilities of a trustee and the duties of the chair include the following.

• Providing leadership to the local Street Pastor initiative and the board by ensuring that everyone remains focused on the delivery of the local initiative’s charitable purposes in order to provide greater public benefit
• Chairing and facilitating board meetings
• Giving direction to board policy-making
• Checking that decisions taken at meetings are implemented
• Representing the local initiative at functions and meetings, and acting as a spokesperson as appropriate
• Bringing impartiality and objectivity to decision-making
• Liaising with the other officers of the local initiative in planning the annual cycle of board meetings and other general meetings where required, for example annual general meeting
• Setting agendas for board and other general meetings
• Developing the board of trustees and having oversight for induction, training, appraisal and succession planning
• Addressing conflict within the board and within the local initiative, and liaising with the coordinator (if staff are employed) to achieve this
• Liaising with the coordinator to keep an overview of the local initiative’s affairs and to provide support as appropriate
• Leading the process of supporting and appraising the performance of the coordinator
• Sitting on appointment and disciplinary panels
• The vice-chair (if appointed) acts for the chair when the chair is not available and undertakes assignments at the request of the chair

Time Commitment:
•           Trustees are expected to attend Management Meetings (normally online 5-6 times a year) and an in-person Annual General Meeting.
•           If a Trustee is not also Street Pastor going out regularly, they are expected to join as an observer with a Street Pastors patrol and with NightLite at least once per year.
•           Trustees are expected to participate in any specific training requirements (e.g., Safeguarding). 
•           Where possible Trustees are asked to participate in other activities (e.g., speaking about Street Pastors at church meetings, attending partnership events).
•           Trustees are expected to support Cambridge Street Pastors in prayer and be open to God’s leading about additional ways of offering support and ‘championing’ the work.

Person Specification
In addition to the person specification for a trustee, the chair should have the following qualities.

• Leadership skills
• Experience of committee work
• Tact and diplomacy
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences.
• In most circumstances, it would also be desirable for the chair/vice-chair to have knowledge of the type of work undertaken by the local initiative and a wider involvement with the voluntary sector and other networks.

What being a Street Pastor involves: 
The work in Cambridge involves volunteers from various Cambridgeshire churches and includes 'NightLite' a drop-in café, safe space in the city centre.

Street Pastors, Prayer Pastors and NightLite volunteers are recruited from Christian churches and  fulfil the personal specification, and able to commit to regular patrols or duties (approximately one night per month). We always welcome people to come out with us one night as an observer, as a first step to have a first hand experience of what is involved. 

More information on training and applications here
 

Street Pastors

Street Pastors are trained volunteers, from local churches, who care about Cambridge City Centre especially at night. As a team of 4 people we can be seen walking around the City Centre, offering care, helping and listening to anyone we meet in a non-judgmental way, although we are in contact with CCTV and emergency services when required.  If you are interested in becoming a Street Pastor, please contact our Coordinator on 07588 560090 during office hours to arrange an observation night. 

NightLite

NightLite is a drop-in safe space, a chance to recover, wait for friends or a taxi, recharge your mobile phone, and stay safe. Hot and cold drinks are on offer along with light snacks. Our volunteers generally serve once a month, caring for anyone who comes in, listening, and helping in any way possible.  We are open from 10pm to 3am and are situated in the City Centre, within Downing Place United Reformed Church, opposite John Lewis and next to Revolution. 

This role is particularly ideal for those who want to be involved with the Street Pastor work, and enjoy listening and chatting, but would not want or be able to walk the streets all night. NightLite volunteers are required to follow the application process and to attend one evening of specific training, and then strongly encouraged to join all the Street Pastor training sessions to better equip them to help visitors to NightLite. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact our Coordinator on 07588 560090 during office hours to arrange an observation night.

Prayer Pastors

Cambridge Street Pastors works best when supported by prayer and some dedicated Prayer Pastors "watch and pray" either at home on the phone or at our base, while we are on patrol or in NightLite. They pray for the team when we go out and when we get back, and between times - we keep in contact with them by mobile phone regularly. If you are interested in becoming a Prayer Pastor, please contact our Coordinator on 07588 560090 during office hours.

 

Other ways to help

Some people receive weekly prayer emails or occasional prayer letters produced by our staff team - again please get in touch if you would like to receive one or both of these.

Spread the word
If you know young people (or not-so-young people) who enjoy being out in Cambridge late at night do tell them about us. Any club or pub staff (including the doormen), taxi marshal, health service worker or police officer will be able to call us for help. They just need to ask someone to 'call for the Street Pastors!'

General help
There are always many other things to do - helping out at events, social media updates, photography, keeping uniforms clean and tidy, stocking up our kit, and fundraising. If you would like to offer any help at all - please get in contact!

More details... on Street Pastor Training

We ask prospective volunteers to complete the online Application Form or download and complete a copy:

•  Online form
•  Downloadable form (Word)
•  Downloadable form (PDF)

The next stages are:

1. We take up references from their local church leader and one other person and carry out a Basic DBS check before allowing an applicant to be commissioned.
    
2. Initial training takes about 5 days including one full day Roles and Responsibilities course run by a trainer from our parent body, Ascension Trust and 3 or 4 other courses either online or in person in an evening or at a weekend.
    
3. The new Street Pastor can then be commissioned in a short ceremony in their church during a service or in a small group, depending on their preference.  They then join the rota and will patrol about once a month.
    
4. Street Pastors are expected to complete further sessions of training, mainly through short courses lasting 2-3 hours, within 2 years of starting, after which they will receive a graduation certificate; they can then serve as a Street Pastor anywhere else in the country.

 We are always happy to answer questions or talk through what is involved, please do contact us we would love to hear from you.