Serving the Community in Fife

An unpaid work squad has won praise from walkers after taking the initiative to replace an unsafe bridge on a footpath near St Andrews.

The group of people, sentenced by courts to undertake a Community Payback Order, were tidying up a popular path near Balgove Larder farm shop when they came across the dilapidated wooden structure.

Although originally tasked with strimming overgrown grass and cutting back overhanging branches and vegetation around the path, the squad exceeded expectations by dismantling the small bridge and replacing it with a new one.

Joan Gallo, of Fife Council, hailed the efforts of the squad and its supervisor, which have also been welcomed as “fantastic” by members of the community.

Ms Gallo, Lead Officer (Community Justice, Unpaid Work) with the council’s Children, Families and Justice service, said: “When they finished the path clearance, the Unpaid Work Supervisor identified that a small wooden bridge on the route was not in a good condition and probably a hazard to anyone using it.

“After the Supervisor reached out to Fife Coastal and Countryside Trust (FCCT), it was agreed this was something the squad could rebuild, with the trust providing the materials.

“Members of the squad really enjoyed working on the task, learning new skills along the way and giving them a sense of achievement from a job well done. Walkers also commented that they were doing a fantastic job and making the path more accessible and safer for the community.”

People sentenced by courts to undertake unpaid work as part of a Community Payback Order are given a specified number of hours to complete, which should have a focus on reparation and provide a clear tangible benefit to the community.

As part of the sentence, they may also be required to take responsibility for their own behaviour by spending time on developing interpersonal, educational and vocational skills that help address the causes of their offending.

More than 11.6 million hours of unpaid work have been completed in Scotland through Community Payback Orders since their introduction in 2011, contributing significantly to communities throughout Scotland.

Management and supervision of people performing unpaid work is carried out by the criminal justice social work departments of local authorities.

Gemma Fraser, Head of Insights and Intelligence at Community Justice Scotland (CJS), the public body responsible for promoting and supporting the use of community-based sentences, said: “Unpaid work as part of a Community Payback Order is a much more person-focused approach to give back to the community where offending has happened compared to other 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.

“With more than 11.6 million hours of unpaid work carried out to date, these projects are of enormous value to communities, providing tangible local benefits as well as helping develop skills among those involved.”