Community Justice Centre, North Liverpool

E-bulletin from Community Justice Centre, North Liverpool - reproduced for your interest. Readers may recall I went to visit earlier this year and was extremely impressed. I am only sorry that my residents cannot take advantage of it as it is outside of my area.



Welcome to the Community Justice Centre, North Liverpool e-bulletin, keeping you up-to-date with our latest news and progress.

REDUCING CRIME. BUILDING CONFIDENCE

The Community Justice Centre has produced a report outlining its key activities during 2005 and 2006. ‘A Year in the Life’ of the Community Justice Centre, will be available on the website from January 2008.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

The Community Justice Centre has been awarded two major accolades in the National Justice Awards 2007, as part of Inside Justice Week.

Avril Ainsbury, a volunteer at the centre was crowned Volunteer of the Year in the prestigious awards. She has worked with communities in Liverpool since 1970 and works as a volunteer within the criminal justice system. She has been a mentor for adult offenders and a Victim and Witness Support volunteer at the centre since 2006, supporting witnesses at trial, from their first contact with the court through to after court care.

The centre’s multi-agency community problem solving team was also Highly Commended for its outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime.

In addition, a local community organisation, the Breckfield and North Everton Neighbourhood Council (BNENC) which provides advice, support and training to residents in the area, won an award for its outstanding contribution to engaging local communities.

Inside Justice Week is an annual campaign aimed at engaging the public in the work of the Criminal Justice System. http://insidejustice.cjsonline.gov.uk/

MAKING AMENDS TO THE COMMUNITY

Grot spot clean up

11 van loads of debris and rubbish has been cleared from grot spots across North Liverpool by a team of young offenders carrying out unpaid work orders from the Community Justice Centre.

As part of the multi-agency Respect Action Week, which was held in Everton during the first week of October, young offenders cleared grot spots, removed fly tipped rubbish and picked litter, filling skips provided by Liverpool City Council. Work was carried out in streets across the area and feedback from local people has been very positive.

Meanwhile a team of 46 adult offenders worked at the Soho Street all-weather pitch in Everton, removing graffiti from the goals and repainting them, clearing broken glass and bringing the pitch back into use. As a result of the success of the project, the team has started work on a project to repair and re-paint the railings and decking at the West Everton Community Centre.

The Respect Action Week brought together more than 65 representatives from agencies across the area and also included targeted activity by the police to tackle drug dealing and prostitution.

Boat Restoration

Up to 50 young offenders carrying out unpaid work orders are set to begin the refurbishment of two 40ft Dragon boats donated to the Community Justice Centre by Liverpool Marina.

Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition involving teams of up to twenty paddlers in each boat with a drummer at the front beating time and a helmsman at the tail steering a straight course. The Dragon boats were formerly used for competitive racing but are currently in a state of disrepair. They will be renovated by the team of young offenders, supervised by the Youth Offending Service.

Restoration will include replacing and repainting the timber. Once the renovation is completed, the boats will be returned to the Albert Dock and teams supervised by the Youth Offending Service, will use the boats for fundraising and team building events in 2008.

Garden Make-Over

Twelve young people, sentenced to unpaid work by the Community Justice Centre have transformed the garden of an 82-year-old woman from Walton.

The young men and women re-turfed and landscaped the woman’s garden and demolished a 30-ft shed, managed by the Youth Offending Service.

The woman, who is visually impaired, had been unable to maintain her garden and was delighted with the work carried out, writing a letter of thanks to the centre.

ENGAGING WITH LOCAL PEOPLE

Putting on Panto

Young people from the centre’s ‘Rock School’ have staged a special performance of Cinderella for local senior citizens as part of Hope University’s Cornerstone Arts Festival 2007 and the centre’s seasonal festivities.

‘Check out Cindy’ was performed for a specially invited audience of senior citizens’ from North Liverpool and falls within the police team’s work to support out of hours diversionary activities on a voluntary basis.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

New Advice Surgery

The Community Justice Centre is working with a number of groups across North Liverpool to tackle issues with anti social behaviour and has established a weekly surgery at the Liverpool Six Community Association in Queens Road, Everton, for residents to report issues of concern.

The team has also set up a weekly lunch club at the Liverpool Six centre where young offenders prepare and serve meals to a local senior citizens’ group. This follows positive feedback from an event held as part of the Respect Action Week where young offenders cooked and served lunch to the local senior citizens’ bingo club.

Tackling Anti Social Behaviour

The centre is setting up a new community Problem Solving Group in response to ongoing issues in the Stanley Road area of Kirkdale.

This follows ongoing progress with the centre’s Queens Road (Everton) Problem Solving Group, which met at the beginning of October. Success has included the identification of the main perpetrators of anti social behaviour in that area and the discussion of potential referrals to the Youth Offending Service.

We are very keen to receive feedback and any comments regarding the contents of this e-bulletin.

Please email - rachael.lewis@justice.gsi.gov.uk