Meet the volunteer 'Angels' helping keep people safe at night in Birkenhead

A team of volunteer ‘Angels’ in Birkenhead is helping to keep people safe at night and in the early hours.

Street Angels go out at weekends, from 10.30pm until around 2.30am, armed with everything from a first aid kit to phone chargers ready to offer support to anyone in need.

That could be those experiencing mental health crises, people on a night out getting into fights or just someone who’s had one too many drinks and needs help sobering up.

Dressed in distinctive purple tabards, the roaming team is trained to deliver whatever assistance best fits the situation, even if it’s just a chat and hug.

Street Angels project lead Gary Wootten explained:

“We carry a bag full of lots of practical things, so phone chargers because if someone’s phone dies that can be really disruptive to their evening, bottles of water to help sober people up, first aid kits, sick bags, and a dustpan and brush to sweep up broken glass,”

“It might sound a bit odd but one of the key items we carry is lollipops because they’re really good for de-escalating situations. You can see people looking a bit irate and if it feels OK you step in and offer them a lollipop. It’s hard to be angry at a volunteer offering you sweets, so it’s a nice softener.

“Also, we see a lot of people in recovery, and then your body’s craving sugar so you’d be surprised how many people want more than one!”

Gary, who lives in Eastham, is a director of Hitched Communities charity which runs various projects focused on supporting vulnerable people to realise their potential.

Hitched Communities has been managing Street Angels in Chester for the past couple of years, and set up the project in Birkenhead in December 2024 – starting their first shift on Mad Friday, just before Christmas.

With funding from Wirral Council Public Health as part of the Step Up Fund, they were able to recruit volunteers, build a website, and pay for training in first aid and mental health.

“We’re just regular local people who are going out because we’re trying to make our town a better place to live in and enjoy,” says Gary.

“We have people from all kinds of different backgrounds, some have lived experience of being homeless or an addict, we have nurses, entrepreneurs running companies, some students, and others who are retired and want to offer us some time.”

Volunteers go out on the streets carrying a radio loaned to them by the community safety team.

“They can monitor and GPS track us and we can call for assistance or they can call us to go to a certain street if they think someone needs help. It’s a two-way conversation.

“We have to put our safety first so we have an experienced leader on every shift and male and female volunteers so we can handle different interventions.”

Street Angels Birkenhead currently has around 12 regular volunteers, although there are more recruits on the way after an article by Wirral Council.

“The response we had to that was lovely,” says Gary. “Obviously it’s voluntary, it’s an unusual time of day to be going out and the thought can feel quite scary, but my experience is Birkenhead is full of a lot of love.

“We’ve had a good time going out on shifts, and people have been so warm and friendly.

“There have been some fairly meaty interventions that we’ve been able to handle with confidence and the outcomes have been positive.

“As people get more and more used to the project trust levels grow, but already people are reaching out to us all the time for assistance.

“In Birkenhead there is a big recovery and homeless community, people who are struggling in life, and a lot of conversations we have are linked to mental health.

“Sometimes we’ll signpost people to services, where they can reach out and get help, but also we just listen. We find ourselves having long chats and a nice hug at the end. People are so grateful that we’re walking around and just being there.”

Gary, 50, says their service not only takes some of the pressure off emergency services, it often results in a better outcome for all involved.

“In the heat of the moment, people can be scared, but we can look at a situation with the training we’ve had and make decisions. We’re not under the influence of anything, we’ve got a clear head, and we’re able to step in.

“Sometimes if there’s been a fight and friends have broken it up, they might need extra assistance and we’ve got our first aid kits, but often it’s about just calming a situation and helping people get on with their night. Simple interventions can transform somebody’s night.”