‘A sense of purpose’: Adults serving community sentences helped transform Invergordon day centre
GIVING offenders a chance to pay back to local communities has resulted in the transformation of a cherished growing space in Ross-shire.
And supporters of the community payback scheme believe such disposals can prove to be a win-win giving those with a criminal record the chance to contribute to meaningful change both personally and for society at large.
This summer, the community payback team transformed the Invergordon-based Isobel Rhind Centre’s growing space, making the area much more accessible and user friendly.
Over the years the centre has welcomed community payback teams to undertake projects on its grounds, allowing them to give back positively to the community with their unpaid work hours.
Diane Macrae, community payback officer, explained: “Our team were approached for help by the Isobel Rhind Centre in their garden due to the vast area involved.
“The Isobel Rhind Centre is a day centre for adults with learning disabilities supporting their development and participation in the community, nurturing a sense of purpose in their lives.
“This person-centred approach carries over to also embrace perhaps one of the most stigmatised groups in society, namely those with a criminal record. A sentence in the community can, however, change the path of a person’s life, as well as contributing to and improving their community.”
She added: “Gary Matheson, community payback supervisor, and his team spent a total of 680 hours on this project; clearing, uplifting, delivering and shifting huge amounts of materials as well as repairing fences and building benches.”
One of the community payback clients involved said: “It was great to be involved with this establishment, especially knowing the good they will get out of the work carried out. It was also great to see the difference before and after.”
Learning disability resource team leader Jonah added: “Working with community payback has enabled us to develop areas in our grounds that we would otherwise have been unable to utilise to their full potential.
“Community payback supported us with improving and maintaining our cycle track, growing area, and cutting back overgrown trees and bushes. One of their biggest projects was helping us to improve our growing area and increasing accessibility for all, regardless of their mobility.
“Those involved have undertaken an extensive amount of physical work and we are very grateful for all of this support, as we would have been unable to achieve these outcomes without their help.
“When on site, they have always been polite, helpful and supervised at all times. We hope to continue our positive working relationship with community payback in the future, and thanks to all involved.”
The chances of someone reoffending have been shown to reduce significantly when they can maintain contact with their family, accommodation and work.
Community justice is about finding ways for offenders to serve a sentence from home, while getting support to rehabilitate and the opportunity to give back to the community. This does call for a degree of tolerance, along with the willingness to actively offer meaningful jobs, as well as individual placements, especially in remote parts of the Highlands.
The Highland Community Justice Partnership paid tribute to all those groups who are working with community payback teams and offering projects and placements, including churches, charity shops, community hubs, trusts, councils and other groups.
Any groups that have some jobs that need done or would consider taking on a placement are asked to email: criminaljustice@highland.gov.uk or to phone their local office for an initial chat at: Ross-shire 01349 884118 or Skye and Lochalsh 01478 612943.
