Town Pastors

Festival Pastors 2026 Recruiting Now

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Festival Pastors will be back in action again this year, so we’re looking for volunteers. And we’ve got a fantastic new opportunity to expand our work this year too.

Reporting for PCC 2024/25

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Town Pastors schemes across Suffolk receive some funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). As part of our accountability for the use of public funds we report to the PCC’s office every year on how the money has been spent.

That's a wrap for Latitude 2025!

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Festival Pastors enjoyed another very successful year at Latitude 2025.

About Town Pastors

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Who are we?

Ambassadors of Christ called to care in places of challenge

Town Pastors are Christian volunteers from local churches who bring a caring presence onto the streets of our towns through the late nights and early mornings of the Night Time Economy. Usually present on Friday and/or Saturday nights, they bring a positive influence on the streets providing help and support to vulnerable people.

Town Pastors in each of the towns where we work are a response from Christian churches to local needs, in partnership with the main Town Pastors organisation which provides help with initial set-up, training and ongoing support as well as access to the Town Pastor brand. Each scheme works together with the agreement and support of it’s specific local government and constabulary bodies. To find out about starting a Town Pastor scheme in your town please contact us.

Advice

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Practical Help and Guidance

Town Pastors provide practical advice to help people navigate the town centre safely and get home.

Information We Can Provide

Getting Home

Taxi rank locations
Public transport information
Walking routes
Safe places to wait

Finding Services

Food outlets that are open late
Public toilets
Cash machines
First aid points

Local Knowledge

Our volunteers know the local area well and can provide:

Directions
Information about local services
Advice on safe routes
Details about what’s open late

Common Questions We Answer

“Where can I get a taxi?”

Bury St Edmunds Town Pastors

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Established in 2008, Bury St Edmunds Town Pastors serve the historic market town in the heart of Suffolk

Complaints Policy

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Town Pastors Central - Complaints Policy

Adopted: 17/10/2024

Town Pastors Central views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.

Our policy is:

To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint
To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint
To make sure everyone at Town Pastors Central knows what to do if a complaint is received
To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way
To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired
To gather information which helps us to improve what we do

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of Town Pastors Central.

Contact Us

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Get in Touch

Please feel free to contact us by email using the form below or, if you prefer old-style pen and paper, you can write to us at our registered company address.

Contacting Your Local Scheme

For specific enquiries about Town Pastors schemes in individual towns, please visit our Towns page to find contact information for your local scheme.

Privacy

This form collects your name and email so that we can effectively respond to your contact request.

Cookie Policy

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This site, like many others, uses small files called “cookies” stored by your browser (e.g. Chrome, Safari or Edge) to enable the functioning of the site.

What are cookies?

The Information Commissioner’s Office describes “cookies” as follows:

Cookies are small text files generated by a web server responding to a request from a website. The user’s device can store cookies (eg via their web browser) and send the information back when they next make a request to the same web server.

Dereham Town Pastors

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Dereham Town Pastors was the first scheme outside Suffolk, bringing the Town Pastors mission to Norfolk.

Felixstowe Town Pastors

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Since 2010 Felixstowe Town Pastors have served the coastal town of Felixstowe in Suffolk.

Festival Pastors

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Festival Pastors at Latitude

Since 2011, Town Pastors have been a familiar and welcome presence at the Latitude festival as Festival Pastors, taking only a brief pause during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Each year our volunteers return to Henham Park to support festival-goers when they need it most.

About Latitude Festival

Latitude is one of the UK’s premier music and arts festivals, held annually in July at Henham Park in Suffolk. The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors from across the country and beyond.

Ipswich Town Pastors

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Ipswich Town Pastors set up the first Town Pastor scheme in Suffolk in 2006, pioneering this valuable community service in the region.

Leiston Town Pastors

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Leiston Town Pastors bring caring on the streets to this coastal Suffolk town.

Listen

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Someone to Talk To

Sometimes all someone needs is a friendly face and a listening ear. Town Pastor volunteers are trained to listen without judgment and provide emotional support to those who need it.

Why Listening Matters

In the busy environment of a town centre on a Friday or Saturday night, it’s easy for people to feel:

Lonely or isolated
Overwhelmed or anxious
Upset or distressed
In need of someone to talk to

Our volunteers are there to listen and provide that human connection.

Partnership Working

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Stronger Together

Town Pastors work in partnership with police, local authorities, businesses, and other organizations to create safer town centres.

Our Key Partners

Police Services

Suffolk Constabulary
Norfolk Constabulary
Police and Crime Commissioner

We work closely with police officers who patrol town centres, sharing information and coordinating our efforts.

Local Authorities

Suffolk County Council
Norfolk County Council
District Councils (Ipswich, Felixstowe, Bury St Edmunds, Leiston, Dereham)

Councils provide support, funding, and coordination for Town Pastor schemes.

Privacy Policy

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Town Pastors Central – Privacy Information Notice

Updated: 21/06/2018

This Privacy Information Notice covers the way in which we (Town Pastors, Registered Company Number 9091093) collect, use and disclose personal information that directors/trustees, employees, volunteers, donors and others may provide us with.

We recognise that your privacy is very important and so we want you to be confident with the way we handle your personal information. Personal information includes any information that identifies you personally, such as your name, address, email address or telephone number.

Support

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Supporting Those in Need

Town Pastors provide practical support to people in town centres who need help. Our volunteers are trained to recognize when someone needs assistance and to respond appropriately.

What We Do

Water and Refreshments

We provide water to dehydrated people, which is especially important during hot weather or when people have been drinking alcohol.

Helping People Get Home

We help people find safe transport home, whether that’s:

Town Pastors In Action

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Town Pastors

Festival Pastors 2026 Recruiting Now

Reporting for PCC 2024/25

That's a wrap for Latitude 2025!

About Town Pastors

Who are we?

Advice

Practical Help and Guidance

Information We Can Provide

Common Questions We Answer

Bury St Edmunds Town Pastors

Complaints Policy

Town Pastors Central - Complaints Policy

Definition of a Complaint

Contact Us

Get in Touch

Contacting Your Local Scheme

Privacy

Cookie Policy

Cookie Policy

What are cookies?

Dereham Town Pastors

Felixstowe Town Pastors

Festival Pastors

Festival Pastors at Latitude

About Latitude Festival

Ipswich Town Pastors

Leiston Town Pastors

Listen

Someone to Talk To

Why Listening Matters

Partnership Working

Stronger Together

Our Key Partners

Privacy Policy

Town Pastors Central – Privacy Information Notice

Support

Supporting Those in Need

What We Do

Town Pastors In Action

Click the image to watch the Town Pastors video on YouTube. This will open in a new window/tab.