Introducing ‘Birmingham Pastors’

‘Birmingham Pastors’ is a project of Networkfour, an award-winning Christian charity that over the last 15 years has provided care and compassion to more than 10,000 vulnerable children, at-risk young people, hard-to-reach adults and crisis families in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. The Birmingham Pastors volunteer street-care team offers practical, hands-on, pastoral support between 10.00am and 10.00pm, Monday to Saturday, to those in need within the city centre. Birmingham Pastors help to prevent and reduce vulnerability, homelessness and criminality.

Networkfour is seeking to grow the volunteer team in order to increase the number of vulnerable people it supports. Not only do volunteers demonstrate the love of Jesus through compassionate, practical support as they help people facing homelessness, vulnerability and poverty, but they find their own faith develops as they see God at work, changing and transforming the lives of the people whom they encounter.

Volunteers must be aged 18 or over. They are required to attend Safeguarding and basic training sessions, then to commit to a minimum of one 4-hour shift per month. Volunteers can choose between the three shifts each day (10.00am – 2.15pm, 2.00pm – 6.15pm and 6.00pm – 10.00pm) six days each week (Monday to Saturday). Volunteers work in a team of two, actively walking the city’s streets, giving valuable pastoral support to people in need. Their work provides a vital bridge between the vulnerable and the over-stretched frontline emergency services.

Networkfour works alongside local churches, charities and other partners, including West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Ambulance Service, the Birmingham Christian Homelessness Forum, the West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council, several Business Improvement Districts, Birmingham City University, the University of Birmingham, ProViz and the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership.

To find out more about becoming a volunteer Birmingham Pastor, e-mail info@networkfour.org.uk. For more information about the work of Networkfour, visit its website HERE and Facebook page HERE.