Community Payback

Community Payback start work at Manor Close Community Hall, Thamesmead on Saturday 29th July 2006. The offenders will be painting the internal and external walls to make the hall look smarter.

Trust Thamesmead will be providing paint and paint brushes and arranging access to the building.

Community Payback is unpaid work offenders carry out in the community as part of their sentence.

Every year communities benefit from over 5 million hours of free labour provided by offenders. This includes bringing derelict areas and buildings back into public use, clearing church yards, country streams and unused allotments, repairing park benches and playground equipment. Some of the projects are relatively small; others, such as turning a derelict piece of land into a garden, can stretch over several years.

Their current focus is to engage the community in the choice of projects. They plan to set up community groups which will be the first point of contact for community involvement in unpaid work. The aim is to encourage community ownership and to show how offenders can help make their communities better.