New name but same mission for Norfolk pastors
 Norfolk Street Partnership (NSP) is the brand new name for the Christian charity which puts high profile street pastors out on the late-night streets of places such as Norwich, Dereham, Great Yarmouth and Diss
Formerly known as Norfolk Street Pastors, the charity is changing its name but not its work or mission, which will remain exactly the same, according to chairman, Richard Pennington
“The essential work of providing Christian love and support on the streets of Norwich and elsewhere in Norfolk remains our mission, but now under a new name which reflects the teamwork of prayer pastors and street pastors, as well as trustees and supporters,” said Richard
The change has been made following the recent decision of the Norfolk charity to leave the management of Ascension Trust (the umbrella organization for Street Pastors nationally) and join the Christian Nightlife Initiative (CNI). CNI is an affiliation of Christian groups working in the night-time economy, including the Suffolk-based Town Pastors, Street Angels and other groups
Richard said: “We are thrilled to be associated with the Christian Nightlife Initiative which supports the county-wide model which is so essential to a rural county such as Norfolk. Some of our staff recently attended an inspirational CNI meeting in London which was addressed by Christian MP, Stephen Timms”
The name change was agreed at a recent meeting between the trustees of Norfolk Street Pastors and the management of Ascension Trust
Richard said: “The main reason behind the move from Ascension Trust is that, while the model of street pastors used by them works very effectively in a metropolitan borough with clear boundaries, a rural county like Norfolk is a very different set-up
“In Norfolk, the centre for street pastors is in Norwich which deals with the administration, training, fundraising, finance and uniforms for the whole county. For smaller towns like Dereham, Great Yarmouth and Diss to have their own board of trustees and administrative centres is quite impractical
“In practical terms, this should make no difference to the wonderful work that our paid staff and volunteers do in town and city centres across Norfolk”
The work of CNI has been backed by the Right Hon Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, who said: "I welcome these night-time initiatives such as Street Angels. You are working hard to help the communities in which you live by making the streets safer and I am extremely grateful to you all for that. I pray that these initiatives continue to result in reduced crime and the fear of crime. Keep up the good work!"
Training offered for volunteer street pastors
An appeal has been put out for more volunteers to join Norfolk Street Partnership and become street pastors. A four-day training course is set to run on Saturdays from September 24 at Gage Road Chapel in Norwich from 10am to 4.30pm
For further information and to obtain an application form, contact Gail Halley on 01603 617598 or email: hailgail@btinternet.com
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