In Manchester’s Gay Village, the Village Angels are a recognisable presence in the area during a busy evening. As patrons float from one bar to another, the Angels are on hand to ensure people are safe, looked after and get home at the end of the night.

Whilst not every city is as lucky to have the Angels, who are part of the LGBT Foundation, on hand, there are efforts to roll out such initiatives further than Manchester. One eight-week trial was recently initially created in Liverpool, which has since been extended with support from the city’s police force and council.

Liverpool Echo reporter Elliot Jessett recently went on patrol with the Angels across Liverpool’s city centre where the team - on the one evening alone - had 139 interactions with members of the public that ranged from just passing conversations to serious interventions.

Team leader Kay explains the reason why she joined the Angels: "Supporting others has brought me a deep sense of community and belonging. Facing new challenges through volunteering has built my self-assurance, giving me the courage and resilience to tackle personal hurdles with confidence."

I have been able to see first-hand the great efforts the Angels go through in just one evening - having joined them on shift on Mad Friday at the end of December last year.

In Manchester, the volunteers - who are DBS checked and also trained in first aid, mental health support, and de-escalation - have been attending the Gay Village every Friday and Saturday night consistently since August 2022 showing the reliance the area has on them. In some cases, they are the first on hand before the emergency services arrive on the scene.

During my patrol with the Angels, I saw them assess people who were very drunk and needing assistance getting home, and also others who needed basic first aid and further medical attention following assaults between customers.

Due to the severity of how things can sometimes get, the volunteers will always be seen in groups and never assess situations on their own.

Amy, one of the shift leaders, said the Village Angels have a number of rules to keep both its volunteers and the people it helps safe. She told me during my shift: “We work on consent - if people don’t want our help then we step away. And we don’t engage with any aggression.”

My colleague, Stephen, also went out on a night patrol with the Angels in Manchester earlier this year and reiterated the significance of the scheme and its dedicated volunteers. In Manchester alone, it’s estimated the team will interact with around 18,000 people every year.

Anyone can face the potential heightened vulnerabilities of being drunk on a night out, and we are incredibly lucky to have these volunteers who make it their task to ensure people can feel watched over. It shouldn’t be an expectation but, especially as people who are part of minority groups, it is an added measure of feeling safe.

If you see the Village Angels on shift either in Manchester, Liverpool or maybe in their next trial city, please recognise their efforts, give them space to do their checks properly and without pressure, and do what you can to support them.

As my colleague said, they are truly deserving of their name - and we're lucky to have them. It’s something every city should have a form of, ideally.