Innovative unpaid work initiatives in North Lanarkshire are providing school children and community members with hands-on experiences in farming and agriculture. Local students have been visiting allotment sites, where they engage in practical activities facilitated by individuals completing Community Payback Orders, mandated by the courts as part of their sentences.
The program is managed by the Restorative Justice Team, which oversees operations to ensure that these projects deliver direct benefits to the local community. Recently, a group of pupils returned to the Clydeside Project to witness the results of their earlier efforts, using tote bags crafted by unpaid workers to gather tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, and green beans they had planted during a previous visit.
On another occasion, students participated in a Halloween-themed event, where they picked pumpkins, colored spooky canvases, and crafted woollen ghosts. These visits also allowed children to interact with a flock of 32 chickens rescued by the Wing and a Prayer charity. The chickens, once battery hens, have been rehabilitated by unpaid workers and now provide fresh eggs to the community.
The work squads involved in these initiatives perform a variety of tasks to support the Clydeside Project. Their responsibilities include building and garden maintenance, livestock care, fencing repairs, landscaping, and preparing for educational visits and open days. Although squad members do not attend school events directly, they play a crucial role in planning and developing these activities, contributing ideas for future community engagement.
Siobhan Hughes, Senior Education and Families Manager of Justice Services in North Lanarkshire, highlighted the significance of the Clydeside Project, stating, “The Clydeside Project delivers clear community benefits. The unpaid work activities at this project allow individuals to give back to their communities while gaining new skills.” She emphasized the positive impact of these initiatives on educational visits and the commitment to organizing more events in the future.
Since the inception of Community Payback Orders in 2011, over 11.6 million hours of unpaid work have been completed across Scotland, significantly contributing to local communities. These orders require individuals to fulfill a specified number of hours of unpaid work, focusing on reparation and providing clear benefits to the community. Participants are also encouraged to develop interpersonal, educational, and vocational skills that address the underlying causes of their offending behavior.
Management of these unpaid work projects is conducted by local authority justice social work departments. Gemma Fraser, Head of Insights and Intelligence at Community Justice Scotland (CJS), pointed out that the unpaid work model emphasizes a more person-centered approach to community reparation compared to traditional sentencing options. “Most of the people will deliver the unpaid work in the community they live in, across a wide range of projects identified by the communities themselves,” she noted.
The ongoing success of these projects not only provides immediate benefits to the community but also fosters skill development among participants. As these initiatives continue to flourish, they represent a commitment to community engagement and rehabilitation within North Lanarkshire.
