FIFE Criminal Justice Social Work Services’ Unpaid Work scheme has been given a positive boost in their annual feedback review of service recipients.

The scheme sees people given these community work sentences at the likes of Dunfermline Sheriff Court and the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area has seen a number of projects completed by them.

The scheme is designed to give people with court ordered community service the chance to payback their local communities by undertaking tasks and projects that will benefit their local area and the people living there.

The work has seen sites in Lochgelly and Kelty cleaned up and repairs carried out.

The tasks and projects undertaken have a varying degree of difficulty with the aim of promoting and building upon individual skill bases and supporting offenders with future employment expertise.

Projects have included painting local community halls, decorating properties, landscaping work, work for local charities and assisting a local primary school to develop a sensory garden, to name just a few.

The team can also undertake the re-furbishing of park benches, clear snow in the winter and has the equipment to remove chewing gum from walkways.

The feedback survey showed that over 90% of the recipients of the service were happy with the work that had been undertaken and 94% were very happy with the time that it had taken to complete the projects.

Bill Kinnear, Service Manager, is very pleased by the results of the survey. “Our staff are experienced in assessing project requests and we aim to make sure that recipients are given the best service possible. We’re happy the hard work is paying off, our service is well received and that we’re making a difference to both the lives of the offenders and those in the local community."

Bill Kinnear continued: “We are delighted that the Unpaid Work Scheme is viewed in positive terms from recipients of the service; it really shows the excellent work that is provided for the local area. Moving forward we will continue to build on our successes to ensure continuous improvement to our local communities in Fife.”