Young people help clean up at Golden Grove

Organised by the Probation Service, the Community Payback system offers young people reparation opportunities as an alternative to a prison sentence. It is a way for them to repay their debt to society by carrying out voluntary work in local communities. This delivers benefits to local neighbourhoods whilst also enabling the young people to gain valuable experience and learn new skills.

The initiative in St Marys was organised in partnership with local housing staff and the police. As local Neighbourhood Warden Kelly explains, the young people involved have been busy carrying out a range of clean up jobs to help make the neighbourhood look more appealing and feel safer.

An eight-strong team from Community Payback have been visiting Golden Grove weekly for the past five months. Under supervision from their team leader, they all do a full days’ work, which includes a morning litter pick and the afternoon targeting areas for a deep clean. They have helped clear and edge footpaths to improve access to walkways across the estate, cut back vegetation and brambles, painted over graffiti and also helped me to tackle many other jobs. Their work has definitely benefited the neighbourhood, and I know it is appreciated by local residents.”

The Community Payback team has also focused attention on removing rubbish and fly tipping at the underpass by Albion Towers to make it a cleaner and safer space for everyone.