Famous for their spare flip flops, given to worse-for-wear women whose footwear choice has come back to haunt them after a night out, the Aberdeen Street Pastors are a staple in the city’s night-time economy.
A team of hardy Christian volunteers, they give up their time and weekend nights to make sure the people of Aberdeen are safe as they venture through the dark city.
However, like most organisations, the Street Pastors encountered a turbulent 2020 due to the Covid outbreak.
All their Friday and Saturday night patrols were stopped for about five months as the country went into lockdown.
But their hard work carried on, with many of the 100 volunteers putting their time to good use by helping with food banks, and even coordinating the vital Grampian Coronavirus Assistance Hub.
The Aberdeen Street Pastors did 15 patrols before lockdown and have undertaken 27 since August but ceased operations once again when the city moved into Level 3.
Coordinator Adrian Rowett paid tribute to the “amazing” people who volunteer with them.
He said: “We have 100 active street pastors but due to Covid, only 44 of them are doing patrols in Aberdeen.
“This year has really been a game of three halves for us here.
“First three months were full-on, with normal service and patrols but then it all kicked off in March.
“The middle was all dead space for us, and then from August, we had to adapt to a different world where things change week-on-week and we had to change the way we do our patrols.
“We used to do them from 10pm until about 4am, but had to change that due to the pubs and clubs closing earlier.
“With social distancing, we have no more hugs and physical contact either.”
The groups of volunteers were also trimmed number-wise, with groups of eight to 10 being dropped to three to four.
Mr Rowett hopes to expand their service even more into 2021, by working with another community group to do patrols in the harbour area of Aberdeen on Thursday nights.
He also wants to reintroduce the safe space van, which has been shelved for the time being due to Covid.
It used to be a popular spot for revellers and those in need during Friday and Saturday nights.
Mr Rowett added: “We want to be there for people, listen to them and give them advice, something we have done since we started in 2007.
“We have great relationships with night time venues, door staff and the police and help out in ways such as pointing lost people in the direction of hotels or taxis.
“We do basic first aid and we lend an ear or a hand to anyone who just wants to talk to us.
“Next year, I hope we can get back to recruiting more Street Pastors, do our regular patrols again and continue to support people.
“We have to respond to the trends and the night-time economy in Aberdeen and there will always be people on the street who need us.”
The Aberdeen Street Pastors were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last year, becoming the first street pastor initiative in Scotland to win it.
Back to school for Elgin pastors as normal night-time patrols remain suspended
Elgin’s nightlife has taken a bigger hit than the rest of the country due to Covid.
The main feature, nightclub Joannas, has remained closed throughout the pandemic, with many popular city-centre pubs also unable to open due to social distancing measures.
This, coupled with the early curfew for premises, means that the Elgin Street Pastors have yet to return to patrolling the town at night.
However, they have kept busy, as their school patrols resumed when pupils returned.
They do weekly lunchtime patrols outside schools in Elgin and Forres, picking up litter and helping any pupils who can come to them in confidence.
The volunteers are itching to get back into action, but that will not come until Scotland returns to near normality.
Co-ordinator Gordon Methven described this year as a “difficult” one for Elgin’s street pastors.
He said: “It’s been quite a difficult time for us as back in March we took the decision to suspend patrols completely.
“Although we weren’t out, we encouraged our volunteers to help through government or council systems during Covid.
“When lockdown ended, we decided not to patrol at night for a number of reasons.
“We held discussions with police about this who we work alongside and decided that once it was safe enough we would return.
“Drunk people tend not to social distance and we do not want to take that risk, especially because a lot of our volunteers are older and vulnerable.”
Elgin Street Pastors were founded in April 2013 and currently have about 20 street pastors and 20 school pastors.
They are most often seen on Elgin High Street on Saturday nights supporting people with directions, taxis, or getting home safe.
The group carries phone chargers and other useful items to help those in need.
Mr Methven added: “We do an awful lot of work on Saturday nights, a few occasions we have had to get hold of people who are being violently sick.
“I wouldn’t say we have saved people’s lives but we have certainly come to the rescue of a few people.
“Some are lost in the freezing cold and we can signpost them to taxis or other areas that they need to go to.”
With no clear end in sight for the Covid pandemic, the Elgin Street Pastors will remain school pastors for the time being.
Mr Methven said: “It was a tough year for us, the same as everyone.
“We would have loved to have done more but we need to think about looking after the safety of our own volunteers.”
Community support the key for Inverness volunteers
When lockdown hit, the Inverness Street Pastors were forced to stop their twice-weekly patrols and continue to support their community in other ways.
The organisation became one of the first in the country to restart operations as soon as was safe when restrictions began to get eased across Scotland.
They have continued to patrol Inverness city centre on Saturday nights, helping anyone who is in need of advice, an ear to listen to or general support.
But in addition, the group also run weekly community patrols, sometimes by bike, in some of the city’s most deprived areas.
This initiative helps them support even more people who may be feeling isolated and unable to travel far from their homes.
Co-ordinator Mark Hadfield has been organising the north chapter of the Street Pastors since it started in January 2008 and has overseen a shift in what they do for the city.
He said: “We are obviously famous for patrolling during the night-time but we also go out into the community as much as we can.
“We like to be available to listen, to care and to help wherever we can.
“This involves us taking trips into communities like Merkinch, South Kessock and Hilton where we talk to shop owners, gangs of young people and older people who feel isolated in their homes.
“These are some of the most socially deprived areas and we are there to chat to people and give them advice and support.
“It is all about supporting communities as much as we can, and all of our volunteers love Inverness and the people in it.”
The group shortened their patrol times in response to the earlier closing times as a result of Covid, and they all wear PPE whenever they need to have close contact with someone.
Mr Hadfield has noticed a difference in volunteer numbers during his time in charge, with the number fluctuating from 20 at the start to up to 70 at its peak.
He added: “I think we have changed but it is something Street Pastors will always do because our principles and ethos is to adapt to change.
“Covid has not been as bad for us as it has for other teams but that is because we have been lucky enough to be in tier one.
“One of the biggest human needs is contact and we all need connection, and that is what the pastors are here for.”