Pathways and gardens in villages on the border of Shropshire and Staffordshire have been tidied up under a community project for offenders delivered by the Ministry of Justice working in partnership with landed estates business Bradford Estates.
The communities in the villages of Weston under Lizard and Tong have benefited from neighbourhood renovation work undertaken through the Ministry’s Community Payback.
People on probation spent four weeks doing tasks which included the clearing of overgrown public pathways, the redecoration of important village assets and tidying up of local features as part of the joint working partnership with local landowner Bradford Estates.
Specific renovation projects include the repainting of the village lychgate, the strimming of a popular permissive path and maintenance of the graveyard in Weston as well as the renovation of a community water feature opposite St Bartholomew’s Church in Tong.
Bradford Estates has provided the Ministry of Justice with local opportunities since 2021, with more than 200 people on probation completing conservation and environmental work across the estates.
People convicted of crimes can be sentenced to between 40 and 300 hours of Community Payback, previously known as Community Service, as an alternative to a prison sentence.
Typical work includes conservation and environmental work, painting, decorating, removal of graffiti and garden maintenance. The aim is to ensure people on probation not only make a contribution to society but also learn valuable, practical life skills which can support a future free of crime.
Bradford Estates Managing Director Alexander Newport commented:
“The community in Weston under Lizard has welcomed the support from the Ministry of Justice to rejuvenate areas of the village and even supplied tea and homemade cakes.
“The partnership is a great way to enable people on probation to give back to the community whilst learning new skills.”
Kelly Cadmore, Operations Manager for Community Payback, which oversaw the work by offenders, said:
“The work people on probation complete makes a real difference to l local people. It has been great to receive positive feedback from the community and the service users acknowledge that they are doing something worthwhile and supporting them to learn new skills.”
Landed estates business Bradford Estates is responsible for managing 12,000 acres on the Shropshire and Staffordshire borders. Working to its 100-year plan and guided by its heritage, Bradford Estates is committed to doing things “the right way”, developing practices that truly make the local way of life better.
