Shetland’s new Street Pastors team will be commissioned at a service in Lerwick Baptist Church on Friday 28 November. The volunteers will then head out on their first night-time patrol of the town centre.
A new Christian initiative to care for people on Lerwick’s streets at night will be officially launched later this month. Everyone in the community is invited to the commissioning service.
Shetland Street Pastors is a team of trained volunteers from local churches. They will offer a caring, listening and helpful presence in the centre of Lerwick during the night-time hours. Working in partnership with local agencies, businesses and the emergency services, they will give practical help, reassurance and support to anyone who needs it. When they have capacity, the team will also support community events across Shetland.
How it began
The project started in 2022, when the local chief inspector for Police Scotland in Shetland approached The Salvation Army and the Church of Scotland in Shetland. He had seen the difference Street Pastors made in his previous posting and believed it could have a similarly positive impact in the islands.
Volunteers from local churches then spoke with a range of potential partners and stakeholders to see whether there was support for the idea. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Shetland Street Pastors was formed and became a registered charity in June 2024.
The national Street Pastors movement began in London in 2003 and now works in communities across the UK and beyond. Every place is different, but the aim is the same everywhere: to care for people, to listen without judgement and to help keep communities safe.
The commissioning service
Chris Jewell from Ascension Trust Scotland will lead the commissioning of the volunteers at the launch service on Friday 28 November. Representatives from local partner organisations, including the police and the council, will also attend. Their support has been invaluable as the project has developed.
The service will celebrate the volunteers’ hard work, give thanks for the partnerships that make the work possible, and pray for the future of Street Pastors in Shetland.
Straight after the service, the newly commissioned Street Pastors will go out on their first patrol in Lerwick town centre.
The team’s vision is to serve Shetland’s night-time community through compassion, practical help and partnership. Everyone is warmly welcome to join them as this new chapter begins.
Commissioning Service
Friday 28 November, 7.30pm
Lerwick Baptist Church
All welcome