http://www.streetpastors.org.uk/

Haringey Street Pastors, London (2026)

01/06/2026

The first patrol in May took place on Friday 8 May along Green Lanes.

After Gert had read a few verses from Paul’s letter to the Romans and said a short prayer, Team B — Cynthia, Chinedu and Gert — set off at around 11:15 pm.

The owner of the restaurant Corbacisi invited us inside for a cup of tea. That was very kind of him, and we enjoyed his hospitality.

On the other side of the road, a rather noisy party was taking place at the pub Jam in a Jar. On our return, the party was still going on and apparently it was being held to celebrate a wedding. After nearly 2,000 years—evolving from Roman tabernae and Anglo-Saxon alehouses—it appears that pubs are still fulfilling their age-old role as gathering places for merriment and celebration.

Otherwise, the patrol was rather uneventful, and we collected only seven empty bottles.

We arrived back at around 1:00 am on Saturday morning at our point of departure opposite Duckett’s Common, where Chinedu concluded the patrol with a prayer.

04/05/2026

April Patrol Summary

The first patrol in April took place on Friday 10th. After Gert opened with a few Bible verses and a short prayer, Team B set out along Tottenham High Road. It was a relatively uneventful patrol, though a loud private party at the nightclub “Qubar” stood out.

On arrival at the police station, the team noted that it is now only open during daytime hours, meaning there are no longer opportunities to speak with the constable on duty during patrols.

A positive moment came at St. Francis de Sales Church, where a sign reading “Meet your child with a smile, not your mobile” offered a thoughtful and relevant message. The team collected and safely disposed of 13 bottles. Cherry concluded the patrol with prayer.

Team B’s second patrol was scheduled for 24th April in the Wood Green area. Nicholas began the outing with Bible verses and prayer. At the Wetherspoon’s pub “Spouters Corner,” a security guard took a photo of the team for their page.

During the patrol, the team encountered four homeless men camping near the library. Gert provided them with leaflets containing information about local borough services and food banks in Haringey. StreetLink was not contacted, as the individuals declined the service.

The team collected seven empty bottles. Nicholas ensured Rebecca and Alice returned home safely, and the patrol concluded with prayer.

12/04/2026

Patrol Report – March

We conducted two patrols during the month of March.

Friday, 13th March – Green Lanes (Team B)
Team B was scheduled for patrol on Green Lanes. Gert opened the outing by reading a passage from Peter’s first letter, followed by a short prayer. We set off at around 11:00 pm.

It was a rather cold night, with temperatures around 1°C, and there were very few people out. The security guards at the nightclub Rakkas also commented on the low number of visitors.

The team managed to collect just one (1) empty bottle—certainly a minimalistic record. Otherwise, the patrol was uneventful. At around 1:00 am on Saturday morning, Cherry concluded the patrol with prayer, and Chinedu kindly accompanied her home to Ponders End.

Friday, 27th March – West Green Road (Team A)
Our second patrol took place on 27th March, when Team A—Alice, Nicholas, and Gert—went out to West Green Road. Rebecca sent her apologies as she was unwell and unable to join us.

Nicholas opened with a reading from Hebrews, followed by prayer, and we set off at approximately 11:15 pm.

We noticed that the nightclub Dolce Pecado, which had been closed for some time, was open again. According to the security staff, it is now under new management.

On our way back, we encountered a man who appeared to be experiencing severe mental distress and was shouting loudly. Situations like this can be quite unsettling, and it is difficult not being able to offer meaningful support.

During the patrol, we collected and safely disposed of 32 empty bottles. At around 1:00 am on Saturday morning, Nicholas and Gert walked Alice home, where she concluded the patrol with prayer.

09/03/2026

Street Pastors – February Patrol Reports
Combined Team A & B Patrol – Bounds Green Road Area

The final patrol in February was a combined Team A and Team B outing in the Bounds Green Road area.

Earlier, our Prayer Pastor Bill had indicated that he would like to join us as an observer for this patrol. Of course, he was more than welcome.

These combined patrols begin earlier, at 10:00 pm, and as they usually take place on a Saturday night they are slightly shorter than normal patrols, allowing for at least some sleep before attending Sunday morning church services.

Nicholas, Bill, Cynthia and Gert left at around 10:00 pm from the meeting point at Westbury Avenue Baptist Church and walked towards Turnpike Lane Underground Station, where we met Alice.

Chinedu, as is more or less his custom, sent a message saying he would arrive later, so we decided to go ahead without waiting for him. Nicholas read a few verses from Hebrews and, after a prayer, we started walking along Wood Green High Road towards the Underground Station.

Although we had been informed that the Metropolitan Police would for the time being not provide us with a CAD number, Gert nevertheless emailed them about our patrol in the Wood Green area that night. It remains to be seen if and when we will again be able to request a CAD number, something we have been doing by email for more than eight years.

At Wetherspoon’s Free House “Spouters Corner” we met a man called George, who told us that he had struggled with drug addiction for quite a long time but had been freed from it thanks to the support he had received through his faith. We were pleased to hear his story and told him we would pray that he remains free from drugs.

The disco at the “Nag’s Head” was extremely loud, and one cannot help wondering how much damage such excessive noise may do to the hearing of those inside. Often the effects of prolonged exposure to loud music only become apparent later in life.

We also had a short talk with the security guard at the “Rio” Nightclub, adjacent to the Dominion Church, which appeared to be closed.

At around 11:00 pm we met Chinedu, who apologised for being late — better late than never.

The number of gambling shops along the High Road is striking: Little Vegas, Admiral Casino, Paddy Power, Palace Amusements, and others. Some of them are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One cannot help wondering why these venues are so popular, as gambling can easily become addictive and lead to financial hardship. Their large number suggests that they must be very profitable.

At Turnpike Lane Underground Station, Alice and Bill went their own way. Before parting, Nicholas concluded the patrol — on which we picked up only six bottles — by reading a few verses from Hebrews and saying a prayer.

Once we arrived back at our meeting point at Westbury Avenue Baptist Church, we said goodbye to Chinedu, while Nicholas dropped Cynthia and Gert off at their home, safely bringing another patrol to its end.

09/03/2026

Street Pastors – February Patrol Reports
Team A – Patrol on 20 February

Team A was scheduled to go out on patrol on Friday 20 February.

At Bruce Grove Railway Station, the meeting place for this patrol, Nicholas and Gert met Rebecca, where we waited for the arrival of Alice. A little after 11:00 pm, Alice showed up. After Nicholas had read a few verses from the Apostle Peter’s first letter to the persecuted churches in what is now north-western Turkey, and said a prayer for protection, we set off.

It turned out to be a rather uneventful patrol.

At Tottenham Police Station we explained to the officer on duty what Street Pastors do during their night patrols. Gert also asked him about the reorganisation of the Met Police’s North Basic Command Unit. It appears that command units may again be merged in order to save money.

One cannot help wondering whether this merging really makes sense. If police units continue to be merged, there may soon be hardly any local police presence left. As a matter of fact, during all these years of patrolling we have met police officers on foot patrol only twice. Nowadays they seem mostly to rely on CCTV, and there is hardly any visible police presence anymore.

Anyway, we left the police station and continued our patrol in the direction of Tottenham Hotspur Football Stadium. At the “Quebar” Lounge we had a chat with the security guard on duty, who told us there were still a few people inside; the same applied to the “Banana” Bar a bit further up.

At Tottenham’s imposing football stadium we crossed the road and walked Rebecca back to her place, arriving after a brisk 15-minute walk. Nicholas was rather in a hurry, and we continued our quick walk back towards Bruce Grove Station, where we arrived at around 00:30 on Saturday morning.

We then drove Alice back to her place, where she concluded the patrol with prayer.

It remains to mention that during this again rather uneventful outing we picked up around 20 bottles.

As said before, Street Pastors are not out on the streets looking for excitement, but to be of service to anyone who may need help. “Caring, Listening and Helping” is the Street Pastors’ slogan and their driving motivation.

09/03/2026

Street Pastors – February Patrol Reports
Team B – Patrol on 6 February

Team B was scheduled to go out on patrol to West Green Road on 6 February.

Gert gave Cynthia a lift to our meeting point near the “Best Kebab” shop, opposite the junction with Portland Road. As is his habit, Chinedu arrived a bit late 😊, but at around 11:15 pm we were complete. After Gert had read a few verses from Psalm 23 and said a short prayer, we set off.

On our way towards Tottenham High Road we picked up a number of empty bottles. We walked along the High Road and noticed that the bar/nightclub “Dulce Pecado” appeared to be still closed, perhaps permanently. Its name is rather enigmatic: how can pecado (“sin”) be dulce (“sweet”)?

Near the War Memorial we continued along Tottenham Hall Approach, with its many well-preserved historic buildings. Not for nothing is this stretch called the “Historic Corridor” – it definitely is one of Tottenham’s nicest areas.

Near Freedom’s Ark, Chinedu’s church, we passed through Tottenham Green Park towards the High Road, which we crossed to continue our patrol towards Broad Lane. Via the subway at Seven Sisters Underground Station we arrived at Seven Sisters Road, continuing to the entrance of Seven Sisters Railway Station.

There we met a middle-aged homeless man. Gert handed him a leaflet with details about soup kitchens and services available for homeless people. Homeless or not, he seemed to be in rather good spirits, and hopefully the leaflet will be useful.

As a matter of fact, about one mile from Seven Sisters Station, near the junction with Monument Way, is Mulberry Junction, Haringey’s service centre offering dedicated facilities to rough sleepers.

We left Seven Sisters Station along Westerfield Road to arrive at West Green Road, where we continued towards the pub/hotel/restaurant “The Fountain”. According to its website, it is one of the few pubs in the area with a pool table.

We crossed the road a bit further up and slowly walked back towards our starting point, picking up quite a few empty bottles along the way. At Head Masters, one of the most popular barber shops in Tottenham, Cynthia met a friend to exchange the latest news. Its popularity definitely shows: irrespective of the time of night there are always plenty of people in the shop, many of them simply coming in for a chat and the latest gossip. The chef came outside to greet each one of us and was pleased to see us again.

At around 1:00 am we arrived back where we had started, and Chinedu finished the patrol with a prayer. Gert took Cynthia home and, once back at his own place, emailed the Metropolitan Police asking them to close our CAD number.

That was the first patrol in February — not very exciting, but excitement isn’t what we are looking for when we are out on the borough’s streets at night.

11/02/2026

On the third Friday in January, Team A went out on patrol to Green Lanes.

Our meeting point for the night was opposite Ducketts Common, near Turnpike Lane bus and underground station, where Nicholas and Gert waited for Alice and Rebecca to arrive. Shortly after 11:00 pm, Rebecca arrived by bus, and five minutes later Alice joined us.

After Nicholas had read a few verses from Hebrews chapter 3, we set off into what was a rather mild and, most importantly, dry night.

At the Turkish restaurant Corbacisi, Gert went inside to speak with the manager and inform him about the Haringey Street Pastors’ social gathering scheduled for the following Friday at his establishment. The manager, a friendly and welcoming man, was very pleased to hear this, and Gert was told that a table would be reserved for the occasion.

We then continued our patrol and had a few conversations with people outside The Salisbury, Green Lanes’ imposing and well-known pub.

When we arrived at the McDonald’s restaurant at the junction with Williamson Road, near Harringay train station, we decided to go inside for a short rest and some conversation. After about fifteen minutes, we left and crossed the road to meet the security guard at Rakkas Restaurant, who told us that it was still rather quiet. Perhaps there are simply too many Turkish restaurants in the area.

Not only are there many Turkish eating establishments along Green Lanes, but the number of grocery shops with fruit stalls displayed on the pavement—many of them open until at least midnight—is also remarkable. At almost every stall we passed, Rebecca and Alice discussed the different kinds and quality of fruit and vegetables on display.

Like the outward walk, the return to our meeting point near Ducketts Common was uneventful. Apart from picking up a small number of empty bottles from the pavement, nothing noteworthy occurred.

On the one hand, that is of course good news. On the other hand, it can sometimes make the effort of going out on patrol feel somewhat futile. However, it is important to remember that the presence of a team of Street Pastors roaming the borough’s streets in the middle of the night is not only a reassuring sight but also represents the “Relevant Church” or “Church in Action,” as Les Isaac, the founder of the Street Pastors movement, has described it. And surely that in itself is sufficient motivation to continue going out on patrol, even when the nights seem uneventful.

01/02/2026

Team B Patrol Report – Friday 9 January 2026

Team B had the honour of carrying out the first patrol of the New Year on Friday 9 January. Bill, one of our Prayer Pastors, had previously asked if he could join us as an observer. We were very happy to agree. Bill served for many years as a committed Haringey Street Pastor and, following his retirement from Street Pastor duties, now supports the work as a Prayer Pastor.

This cold January night’s patrol took us to Tottenham High Road. We met at Bruce Grove Train Station and waited until everyone had arrived. Cherry, one of Team B’s members, had informed us earlier that she was unable to attend due to church meetings. By around 11:15 pm, the team was complete: Cynthia, Gert, Bill and Chinedu.

After Gert read some verses from Hebrews 11 and led us in a short prayer, we set off. Normally we walk towards the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but as Bill has some difficulties with walking, we decided to go in the opposite direction first, allowing him the option to return early if needed.

We checked in at the Police Station on Tottenham High Road to say good night to the officer on duty, a female officer we had met before who was familiar with the work of Street Pastors. She told us that it had been a relatively quiet night so far. However, almost immediately after leaving, several police cars with blue lights flashing raced towards Monument Way, followed by an ambulance, clearly responding to an incident.

We spoke with security staff at the nightclubs Que Bar and Banana, who confirmed that footfall was low — hardly surprising given the freezing temperatures.

Continuing towards the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we noticed a young woman curled up in a corner of a bus stop, tightly wrapped in her coat, with two small suitcases beside her. When we asked if she was alright, she told us she had been homeless for three years and had nowhere to stay that night. Chinedu raised an alert with StreetLink and explained that she would need to remain where she was until the outreach team arrived. We gave her a thermal blanket to help keep her warm, and Gert provided information on local food banks and homeless support services in Tottenham.

All we could do was hope that the StreetLink outreach team would respond quickly, though experience tells us that responses can sometimes take a long time. Encounters like this always leave you with the feeling that there is so little you can do. The young woman, Shamira, told us she was just 24 years old.

On our way back to the meeting point, we collected and safely disposed of a small number of bottles — nine in total. We returned to Bruce Grove Train Station at around 1:00 am on Saturday morning, where Chinedu closed the patrol with prayer.

Gert then took Cynthia home and, once he had arrived safely, emailed the Metropolitan Police to close the CAD number that had been issued earlier that night.

04/01/2026

November Part 2:
On a cold Friday night, Team B headed out for the last November patrol on Green Lanes.
Nicholas – who had swapped with Chinedu – read a few verses from Hebrews 13 and, after a short prayer, we left our meeting point near Duckett’s Common just after 11 p.m.

After a 15-minute walk we stopped at the Turkish restaurant Çorbacısı, where we plan to have our team social in January, to check whether we’d need to book a table. The friendly chef recognised us from a previous visit, insisted we stay for tea – and even brought us a dessert! See picture. We gratefully accepted the warm hospitality and, after we’d finished, the chef declared he was looking forward to hosting the social. Thanking him warmly, we continued our patrol.

Despite near-freezing temperatures, many people were still drinking outside and chatting animatedly in front of the ground-floor pub at the imposing Salisbury Hotel. The pub, with its authentic Victorian interior, “offers a friendly atmosphere for wine, beer and good conversation”, according to its website.
Tempting though it was, our Street Pastor duties didn’t stretch to testing that claim.
Having said hello to a few of the pub-goers on the pavement, we continued along Green Lanes, eyes peeled for empty bottles – which were remarkably scarce that night.

Near the far end of Green Lanes, we stopped at the classy sh**ha lounge Raʞkas for a quick chat with the two security guards, who were putting on a brave face despite the cold. They told us the venue was busy.
Green Lanes is home to an impressive number of small shopkeepers who leave their wares – with sometimes unusual items – out on the pavement for most of the night. With so much competition, you can’t help wondering how they manage to stay afloat.

After about 90 minutes of a chilly but rather slow stroll (owing to Cynthia's un-cooperative leg) we were back at the starting point, where Cynthia closed the patrol with prayer.
Gert was able to drop Cynthia safely at her place on his way home, but unlucky Nicholas had to make a rather long detour to take Cherry to Ponders End. Ascension Trust's rules are clear: no Street Pastor should travel home alone after a night patrol – noblesse oblige!

04/01/2026

November 2025 PART 1
Friday 7th November was Team A's turn to go out on patrol at Tottenham High Road.
At around 10:45, Nicholas and Gert arrived at the designated meeting point near Bruce Grove Train station and waited for Rebecca. Alice had already contacted Gert to inform him that she wouldn't be available.
By 11:00 pm, Rebecca still hadn't arrived, so Nicholas suggested a leisurely stroll towards Tottenham Police Station, expecting Rebecca to meet them there.
Ascension Trust's rules stipulate that patrols must have at least 3 Street Pastors. Without Rebecca the patrol couldn't go ahead.
At around 11:15 Gert managed to get in touch with Rebecca, who in a rather sleepy voice, said that she had forgotten all about the patrol!
At the Police Station they had the opportunity to explained to the duty Officer what Street Pastors do during their patrols.
The two forlorn Street Pastors made their way back to Bruce Grove Train Station at around midnight and returned home.
During this curtailed patrol, 3 discarded glass bottles were picked up and safely disposed of.

Haringey Street Pastors

01/06/2026

04/05/2026

12/04/2026

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

11/02/2026

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