Member's statement: Ards and North Down Street Pastors
Member's statement by Mr Stephen Dunne on .
- MLA
- Mr Stephen Dunne
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 1 April 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Ards and North Down Street Pastors
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4876540
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise to mark a special anniversary for the Ards and North Down Street Pastors on 10 years of dedicated service across the Ards and North Down Borough Council area. On Thursday night, the street pastors, PSNI, council officers, friends and supporters gathered together to mark the significant 10-year milestone with a special celebration. The street pastors are a dedicated group of volunteers who give up their weekends to go out on our streets, keep people safe, offer practical support and show real compassion for everyone whom they meet in every corner of the Ards and North Down borough: Holywood, Bangor, the Ards peninsula and across the entire Ards and North Down area. Their motto is "Caring, Listening, Helping". Those are words that we should all aspire to and keep in mind every day. I am sure that many people in the House and beyond will have seen those dedicated volunteers out on our streets at night or at many local community events and activities throughout the year. As well as the group in Ards and North Down, there are dedicated street pastor groups across Northern Ireland, including in Belfast, Coleraine, Newtownabbey and the Lisburn and Castlereagh area. I pay particular tribute to Pam Williamson and Marilyn Toogood, who formed the Ards and North Down Street Pastors group back in 2015 and continue to lead it today. The group has grown and grown since its foundation and has a large number of dedicated volunteers who give up their time every weekend to help others. I give special thanks to those dedicated volunteers, who are out at the weekends — rain, hail or shine — to make a difference and give up their free time to help others. Keep up the great work.
292 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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