BRADFORD BID is backing a charity that helps to ensure people can enjoy the city’s nightlife safely.

The Business Improvement District (BID) is donating new radios for the Street Angels charity to enable volunteers to contact city centre organisations, West Yorkshire Police and CCTV operators when needed.

Radios are vital to help the volunteers get support when needed and to answer urgent call-out requests from businesses.

Lorraine Betts, co-chair of Bradford Street Angels, said: “We have had to hire radios up to now so we were thrilled when Bradford BID stepped in and offered to provide some new ones for us free of charge.

“It makes a big difference to us as we don’t have a regular income but rely on donations to pay our expenses.

“We certainly feel much safer patrolling with the radios and consider them essential to our work in the city centre.”

The Street Angels patrol in teams of three or four and provide a listening ear to those who need to talk or provide support to the more vulnerable people they come across.

They provide a comforting and approachable presence, dealing with issues such as helping young girls get home safely following a night out with friends, or assisting and supporting someone who may have collapsed in the street in getting medical assistance.

Elizabeth Murphy, evening and night time economy co-ordinator for the BID, the not-for-profit company funded by more than 600 levy-paying businesses and organisations to help promote and develop the city centre, said: “The Street Angels are an excellent group of people who want to support and enhance the evening and night time economy of Bradford city centre.

“They provide an amazing service supporting and caring for late-hours visitors.”

Bradford Street Angels was set up in 2007 and there are currently about 20 volunteers on their active list, but the team is searching for more so they can extend their patrols.

Ms Betts said: “We are very short of volunteers for Street Angels. Ideally we would like to be able to patrol Saturday evenings as well as Fridays but just don’t have enough people to manage that at the moment.

“It’s an ideal opportunity for anyone who can spare about one evening a month, to help other people and also have an interesting and fun evening out.”

Anyone wanting to get involved in Bradford Street Angels should contact the group through their Facebook page @BradfordStreetAngels.

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