Offenders have been paying their dues by helping to renovate part of a Lichfield school.
Saxon Hill – a school for youngsters with physical disabilities – saw their kitchen and dining area remodelled to make them more wheelchair friendly.
The Community Payback scheme also saw decorating carried out around the school.
John Thickett, the Head Teacher of Saxon Hill Community School, says:
“Schools like always struggle with budgets, so to have somebody provide the labour to help us on our journey is invaluable,” said headteacher John Thickett. “It’s important to Saxon Hill School that we are community-focused, so we aim to offer our school as a host for people sentenced to Community Payback.
“We hope that offenders see the benefit they’re bringing to our children and that it might open a window or switch on a light to make them think.”
Previous experience has show the school that the work carried out often does have an impact on the offenders.
“Last year, a lad on Community Payback was a plasterer,” Mr Thickett added. “Completely in his own time and off his own back, he came in, re-skimmed and re-plastered a room to get it ready for us to use.
“I think that just shows that Community Payback actually works.”
