“No Saturday is the same. That’s one of the good things about pastoring: you don’t know what you are going to get into and every night is different.”

Those are the words of Chippenham Street Pastor co-ordinator Michael Weeks who I joined on Saturday to see Chippenham in a whole new light, writes ANDREW LAWTON.

The Street Pastors, a vital part of Chippenham’s recent Purple Flag award, are trained volunteers engaging with revellers and helping keep the town centre safe.

Pioneered in Brixton by Rev Les Isaac in 2003, Street Pastors are now in towns across Wiltshire and throughout the UK.

“I find it a real privilege,” Michael added. “You’ve got to enjoy it, I don’t think you can do it otherwise, we are out in all weathers.

“I genuinely love it, I look forward to coming out and interacting with people and the fellowship the pastors’ share.”

The Chippenham Street Pastors celebrate their fifth birthday in September and have conducted over 200 night time patrols.

After meeting at 10pm, they leave base around an hour later loaded with sweets and their usual backpacks containing water, tissues, binliners, dustpan and brush and sick bags.

Pre-midnight the main Pub Watch radio communications relate mainly to under 18s unsuccessfully attempting to use improper IDs.

There’s a minor scuffle outside the Buttercross Inn at 11.59pm which sees Michael put a call into Chippenham’s CCTV team but it soon peters out.

“Anywhere you have alcohol you have the potential for ASB, the Purple Flag really reinforces it’s a safe, good place,” he says.

Vivien, 70, who has been volunteering with the Street Pastors for 16 months, said: “I enjoy it, I like helping people and I normally get a great deal from it.”

At 1.20am the pastors meet a gentleman slumped in the doorway of a shop but his friends are nearby to help him home and no action, other than a friendly greeting, is required.

The first pair of flip-flops are given out shortly afterwards to a lady heading home from a night of birthday celebrations.

A young man on The Bridge needs support just before 2am with the pastors’ sick bags, water and silver foil blanket while he waits for his friends to finish their night in Eleven.

The kindness of the Street Pastors is clear to see but also their enjoyment of being out until 4am.

As Michael notes: “It’s not just about being there for people in distress.”