Angels grace the streets of Birkenhead at night…
A group of volunteers are helping to make the night-time safer for those out and about in Birkenhead. They are called the ‘Street Angels’.
The Street Angels project is run by Hitched Communities, a local charity that designs new projects to support vulnerable people in the community and help them to realise their potential.
Gary Wootten is the Street Angels Project Lead. We caught up with him to learn more about the angels gracing the streets of Birkenhead under cover of night…
Gary, who lives in Eastham, said:
Street Angels is about supporting vulnerable people in the night time economy in Birkenhead. We’re a roaming team of street volunteers trained in mental health first aid, first aid and more.
We come from different backgrounds and experiences. Some of us are business owners, some are part of the recovery community. Most of the team are actually born and bred in Birkenhead.
What unites us is a shared passion and a heart for the town. We’re proud of this place and want to support people to enjoy themselves safely, changing the culture in a positive way.
The scheme is running thanks to funding from Wirral Council Public Health, matched funded with UK Shared Prosperity Funding, as part of the Step Up fund. The fund is a collaborative programme that has provided up to 20 organisations with a £10k grant and £5k training grant to develop new or existing programmes to address a number of health and wellbeing issues including cardio-vascular disease, fuel poverty, violence reduction and employment support – all aligned to Wirral’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
The Street Angels go out late at night of a weekend in Birkenhead. They are usually in a group of around three or four and they wear bright purple vests.
Gary said:
One thing for sure is we’re not trying to put our volunteers at risk – we go out as a group, we have a radio and we’re tracked by CCTV.
The situations we come across might be helping people under the influence and getting them home safely or to a taxi. We could come across someone who is distressed, we’d be there to talk it all through with them and signpost them to services if relevant.
Sometimes we do first aid – we have lots of things in our bags like water, first aid, sick bags, hair clips, phone chargers, flip flops, cereal bars etc. One of the most important things in our kit is sweets – you wouldn’t believe the power that a sweet or lollipop has to completely disarm someone and de-escalate a situation.
The group work with local services and act to fill a gap in nighttime interventions, where police or ambulance are not yet needed, but a situation needs support.
Gary and the team have already worked with countless residents and prevented situations from boiling over.
Gary said:
We might see between 50-70 people per shift, and have up to 10 meaningful interventions a night that could make a difference to somebody’s evening. These could be people reaching out to ask who we are, de-escalating disagreements or tense situations, handing out water etc. We’ve helped somebody (with their consent) to use their phone to get somebody to come out and collect them and take them home. We’ve had homeless people chat to us, we’re compassionate and kind. They’ve been delighted we’re there.
One situation that stands out to Gary took place on the Street Angels’ first outing, back in December last year.
Gary said:
It was ‘mad Friday’ which is the Friday before Christmas. It was our first chance to see the night in Birkenhead as a project team. We walked past a pub on Argyle Street and people outside were ushering us to go round the corner of a street, and there were two guys fighting another lad.
It turned out that one of our volunteers knew those three people by name, that’s how ingrained in the community the team is. So they were in a good position to de-escalate, which they did quickly and successfully.
We were able to separate the three by the time the police arrived – which probably avoided a few people going to prison, or hospital, for Christmas - which was a great outcome given the circumstances. We spoke to the police after the incident and CCTV were monitoring the situation.
Since launching, the group have been embraced by the community.
Gary said:
Despite what you might think, we’ve received a lot of love on the streets – we get hugged and kissed sometimes for just being there and doing what we’re doing. People seem grateful that we’re just there. I was quite nervous initially that people might reject us but there’s none of that ever. Everyone’s been so warm and friendly.
The Street Angels can only operate if they have enough volunteers. They’re looking for people who have a heart for Birkenhead and feel they have something to offer.
Gary said:
I call us a high octane walking club – as we get our steps in with about six miles covered every shift! We’ll train you up and you’ll make some great friends with other volunteers, all while helping to make our town safer for everybody.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Street Angels, or joining them, visit Street Angels Birkenhead.
