The retired headteacher who walks the streets at night (and by day) to help keep communities safe
By Ros Dodd At 10pm on a Saturday night, when most retirees are thinking of going to bed, Fiona Covington-Mann is beginning a four-hour shift patrolling the streets of Newtown . Fiona, from Tywyn, is a 'street pastor' - a trained church volunteer - and her job is to offer help, or simply a listening ear, to young people who might be vulnerable after a night out in the Powys town. "Our mantra is 'to care, to listen and to help'," she explains. "We're often referred to as the fourth emergency service, and our strength is operating a 'softly, softly' approach. So, for example, we might get a call from the police to get a person home safely, which could mean phoning their parents to come and pick them up. We don't preach and we're not judgmental; we are just there to signpost, to offer practical support such as handing out flip-flops, water and first aid, and to listen - and there is a lot of listening involved." Sometimes, that act ...
