Young offenders take part in Dacorum Restore

Offenders have worked with the Dacorum Community Safety Partnership to give something back to the local community.

The project 'Dacorum Restore' was launched three months ago, and since then, 10 people have worked with the Hertfordshire Probation Service, once a week to help clear up local parks and footpaths.

Areas targetted so far are Margaret Lloyd Park, where a group widened and cleared up the paths, making them accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs. At Randalls Park, the group have collected litter, replaced rabbit guards, strimmed pathways and tidied up planted areas. The team has also targetted the Nicky Line, where they collected large amounts of litter, including discarded furniture and TVs, that had been highlighted as a hazard by the Fire Service.

Jeff Spencer from Hertfordshire Probation Service said: "The aim of the project is two-fold - it has helped tidy up certain parks and footpaths to the benefit of both users and local residents, and secondly, it has allowed the offenders to give something back to the community. This is not just a punishment, but rehabilitation and to stop re-offending. They really have done a good job and should therefore take pride in their work."

Dacorum's Community Safety Partnership - including Dacorum Borough Council, Hertfordshire Constabulary, the Primary Healthcare Trust, Herts County Council and the Fire and Rescue Service - aims to make Dacorum even safer and more pleasant and to provide a background where people, communities and businesses can flourish.

July 2008