Payback - In Your Area
Community Payback
The Probation Service enforces Community Orders, which can be given as part of a sentence by the Courts. A Community Order can include an element of Unpaid Work. Offenders are expected to carry out work that is demanding and that will benefit other people. When they do this work, they are paying back the community for the harm or damage their offending caused.
Offenders over the age of 16 can be ordered by the courts to complete work that will benefit local charities, schools, faith groups, church trusts and community organisations. The number of hours can range from 40 to 300 hours of Unpaid Work, and must be completed within 12 months of receiving the sentence. Most offenders complete their sentence by working a seven-hour day once a week.
In a 12 month period supervised offenders completed 51,696 hours of supervised work for local communities in Northamptonshire. The supervised work also includes landscaping, ground clearance, and painting and decorating.
Current Unpaid Work Projects in Your Area
Rushton Primary School
Treatment of sheds with wood preserver, repair to fences and other outdoor maintenance, including some gardening. Some significant work was also undertaken on the school pond. The old leaking pond liner was removed and replaced with a new one. The pond was then re-filled with plants and pond life.
"We are grateful for all the hard work the Unpaid Work team has put into the repair job on the pond" said Sally Bingham Headteacher. "The children were so pleased to see it full up again and we had a really fantastic time releasing the tadpoles and newts back into it. One of the parents from the school offered to provide a number of free slabs we need. We will then lay a path around the pond for the children". Sally continued: "The Probation Service has laid the foundations for continued work with the pond and surrounding area."
One of the officers working on the project said: "This was without a doubt the best day's work by any single group that I have been involved with. There was a real team effort and a good example of Community Payback at its best, as demonstrated by the kind words of the children and the headmistress."
THE DAYLIGHT CENTRE, Wellingborough:
Painting, decorating and maintenance of, and extensive cleaning of external drains and gutters. Interior cleaning, refurbishment and redecorating throughout, repair and making good the kitchen area. Repainting parking lines at front of building and possible removal of disused wall. Maintaining the rear garden and digging over allotments area. Exterior repair, clearance and painting work.
This is a local independent charity that provides support, learning, companionship, activities, relationships, shower facilities, second-hand clothing, midday meals and life enhancing opportunities for vulnerable adults in the community. The main administration building is in need of repair and maintenance, as does the kitchen area of the Drop-in Day centre. The placement is supported by Northants County Council, Wellingborough Borough Council, The Big Lottery, The Mothers' Union, Churches, Charities, Companies and individuals from across the county, and is a very valuable facility in the local community.
Full Gospel Church & Christian Centre, Rushden
We are undertaking a long term plan for painting and decorating, maintenance, landscaping and refurbishment of an old toilet block to create a temporary homeless shelter. Maintaining gardens and yard area at rear of premises. Redecoration, throughout the whole building – indoor and outdoor. Maintenance and cleaning up of current building, including some carpentry/construction
This is a community based centre which provides facilities for various local clubs and groups such as Mums and Tots, Elderly Lunch Club, Kings Crew Children's Work, Performing Arts Group, IT Suite, Youth Work, Pregnancy Counselling. Plans are already under way for members to be involved in the redecoration and general spring cleaning of the building, and offenders will be working alongside them.A partnership arrangement has been entered into to refurbish an old toilet block to become a temporary homeless shelter, involving Anglia Water, East Northants Faith Group and the ENDC Homeless Forum. Offenders will be working alongside them.The church is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and Global Connections and is a church in fellowship with Assemblies of God. It is a registered charity.
These 2 community-based centres are providing opportunities for offenders to learn property maintenance skills and to offenders to work along side community groups. The offenders can see the practical benefits of their work - and at the same time have the experience of working alongside people who are committed to improving the local facilities. The proposal to create the homeless shelter at the Full Gospel Church was instigated by the resident minister - there is a huge opportunity for offenders to gain empathy with people suffering housing problems. He wants to provide a short-term facility for people who cannot access more long term housing provision until they have an address in the area.
Nominate a Project
You can put forward a project for Unpaid Work in your local area. Go to the Community Payback website.