THE ‘Boro Angels’ are celebrating five years of helping vulnerable people found on the streets of Middlesbrough town centre on Saturday nights.

About 25 volunteers are now on hand each week to make sure drunken stragglers are reunited with their friends and get home safely.

Armed with flip flops to soothe the feet of revellers crippled by painful shoes, lollipops, bottles of water, flask and a first aid kit, the Christian ‘angels’ were recently given a special recognition trophy at the ‘Best Bar None’ awards in Middlesbrough by local pubs.

Boro Angels chairman, David Gee, was representing one of the many local organisations attending a conference in Middlesbrough titled ‘Homelessness – are we really helping?’ at the Trinity Centre in North Ormesby organised by Together Middlesbrough, a joint venture between the Diocese of York and Church Urban Fund.

“It does not matter how they got into that situation, whether they are homeless or drunk, we help them without judging," he said. "We get lots of handshakes and high fives from people, there is never any aggression towards us.

“We see ourselves are different from a lot of other agencies, we can’t solve homelessness, people’s addictions or psychological problems but we can point them in the right direction,” he added.

Speakers at the event included the Right Reverend Terence Drainey, Bishop of Middlesbrough, Jon Kuhrt, executive director of social work at West London Mission, and a former homeless heroin addict named Grace who spoke about the local support she had received.

Sharon Caddell, principal homelessness co-ordinator at Middlesbrough Council explained that domestic violence remained a critical problem within Middlesbrough and remained the biggest cause of homelessness.

There are five known rough sleepers in the town and there have been 1,500 requests for advice and assistance per year as well as 500 cases where homelessness has been prevented.

The role of the church and faith groups was discussed by the Right Reverend Mark Bryant, Bishop of Jarrow and Trustee of DePaul UK, who talked about the value of taking a homeless person in for the night and treating them like a guest.

“Often we are afraid of people who are different from us, but the bulk of people who are ‘night stop’ hosts in the North-East are older single women living on their own,” he said.

“They have refused to believe all the negative stuff about young people and have overcome their own fears. I just think that’s the best thing.”