Bohemia Village Voice

The YMCA benefitting from the Community Payback scheme

A charity-run sports and leisure centre has been given a dazzling new makeover by offenders on probation. Up to 50 offenders spent almost 1,000 hours painting, laying carpet and clearing old furniture at the YMCA sports centre in St Paul’s Road, Bohemia. Under the Community Payback scheme, teams of offenders sentenced to unpaid work by the courts are used to improve local facilities. Over the course of two weeks offenders repainted the main hall and public gallery, stripped and varnished the floor, laid new carpet in and decorated the youth wing and revamped two activity rooms upstairs. Karen Manning, chief executive officer of Hastings and Rother YMCA, said: “Initially I was sceptical that they could carry out the work in the hall in such a short space of time but they pulled it off, and to a very high standard. It was so good we asked them back to do all the other rooms at the centre. As a charity there is no way we could have afforded professionals to carry out this work so this has been a great service to ourselves and our customers.”
Mark Burden, Sussex Probation Area’s Community Payback manager, said: “Some offenders worked 12 hour days, fuelled by food laid on by the YMCA, to get this project finished. The result is fantastic. As well as helping a very worthwhile charity this project has vastly improved a facility used by thousands of Hastings and St Leonards residents. Projects like this provide offenders with invaluable skills and teamwork experience which is proven to reduce reoffending.” Last year some 2,500 offenders were sentenced to carry out unpaid work under the supervision of Sussex Probation Area with more than 200,000 hours worked. Suggestions for Community Payback projects can be emailed to sussexcommunity.payback@sussex.probation.gsi.gov.uk