Community Payback in Gateshead is a partnership between Northumbria Probation, Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue, Gateshead Housing Company, and Gateshead Council, and therefore an initiative which is endorsed by the Safer Gateshead Partnership.
The scheme in Gateshead enables the unpaid work carried out by offenders to receive public recognition and allows the public to contribute ideas as to which projects are undertaken indirectly through neighbourhood tasking meetings, members requests or directly from community groups to the probation service. It is critical that Community Payback hours are used effectively, both as a punishment and to help rehabilitate offenders.
This initiative not only enables improvements to local areas, it also provides offenders with essential life skills which aim to prevent them from becoming involved in any further offences
Community Payback was adopted as a mayoral project in November 2008. Over the last 12 months work has taken place and is ongoing in the following areas:
Central
Saltwell Park
The Dell
Annunciation Church, Millway, Sheriff Hill
East
Felling Community Centre
Windy Nook Nature Park
Pelaw Youth Centre
Inner West
Watergate Park
Hermitage Community Garden, Whickham
Dunston UTS Federation Football Club
Swalwell Juniors Football Club
Environmental improvements on the Keelmans Way
South
The Seven Stars Footpaths
Birtley Community Centre
The Black Path
Beacon Lough Plantation
Belgian Cemetery in Elisabethville
Wrekenton Blue Star Football Club
West
The Keelmans Way
Environmental Improvements on the Keelmans Way
Winlaton Mill Millennium Green
Blackhall Mill Community Centre
Between April 2009 and March 2010 1933 adults offenders completed over 11,369 hours of work at a value of £113,690 to the community of Gateshead.