East End street pastor meets Government minister by Big Ben

A CHURCH pastor took a break from her work on the streets of the deprived East End to meet Government environment minister Jim Fitzpatrick at the Houses of Parliament. Georgina Stride went to explained her work in the MP’s constituency in East London

A CHURCH pastor took a break from her work on the streets of the deprived East End to meet Government environment minister Jim Fitzpatrick at the Houses of Parliament this week.

Georgina Stride (pictured with Jim) normally trundles the streets of the MP’s Poplar & Canning Town constituency in East London, looking for those in need of help.

She went to explain how she set up the Tower Hamlets Street Pastors’ organisation with churches, local authority and police.

“The emphasis is on getting to grips with the problems on our streets,” she told the MP. “We are reaching out to people who need our help.”

The organisation has Mr Fitzpatrick’s seal of approval. He said later: “Its role is not about preaching heaven and hell, but listening and helping in an unconditional way, which sounds pretty good to me.”

There are now 100 Street Pastors’ teams up and down the country, each city project run by a coordinator backed by local churches and community groups with police and local authority.