PROJECT REVIEW: PARTNERSHIP WITH LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL

Leicester City Council has formed a partnership with the Probation Trust that guarantees - during a 12 month period - a total of 200 working days will be spent undertaking general gardening and maintenance projects on the city housing estates.

Tenants are being urged to report neighbourhood environmental and clean-up problems, which will provide work for the new ‘Reparation Action Teams.’

Local residents can make their requests through their area housing officer, who will pass on the suggested work projects to the Probation Service. The work can range from general gardening tasks, ground clearance, mending fences, and collecting rubbish and litter.

Community Revival

Last year, as part of the national Inside Justice Week, supervised offenders cleared and replanted an overgrown community garden in Leicester's Gilmorton Estate. Working alongside the Probation Team were local members of Round Table, and city council housing representatives with Police Officers from the Welford Road Local Policing Unit.

The Action Day at Gilmorton signalled the growing change in community life as council housing representatives with councillors, and the Police, had been working with residents to successfully crack down on anti-social behaviour and drug related crimes.

Neighbourhood Housing Manager Ian Stapleton added:

"Through our contact with tenants, we are identifying projects that will provide work for these supervised work parties. The Probation Service has allocated 200 days, which means the partnership will be able to provide a work party every week. This scheme is a very practical way to improve the environment on our estates."