Pocket Park's Payback Pamper
07/01/2010
A children's park in Hastings has been given a makeover treatment by offenders on Community Payback. The Braybrooke Pocket Park, in Hughenden Road, was established and is operated by local community group Better Braybrooke, supported with grants from Hastings Borough Council.
Better Braybrooke contacted Sussex Probation to carry out some maintenance in the park. Teams of up to ten offenders, sentenced by the courts to carry out unpaid work, worked at the park over the course of several weeks.
The groups painted walls and steps, cleared plant containers and rubbish and even rendered a large wall. They will go back every six to eight weeks to ensure the park stays in good condition - removing weeds and rubbish. Hastings Borough Council provided a waste removal service during the project.
Better Braybrooke chairwoman Caroline Kempster said: "The park is now reopen and is safer and more pleasant environment for local people to use. The offenders did a fantastic job.
"This work would never have been done without Community Payback and local children would have been deprived of a great facility. I would like to thank Sussex Probation and supervisors Justine and Glen, Stamco and Brewers for providing materials, Hastings Borough Council and our ward members Godfrey Daniel and Dominic Sabetian."
Mark Burden, senior probation officer for Community Payback, said: "We are delighted to work with groups like in delivering projects and improvements that are important to the community. The project was nominated via our website nomination form. We would be delighted to hear from other Community groups in need of labour and manpower."
More details can be found at our Community Payback section.
