Reparation Activities in Torbay

Reparation work is carried out regularly in Torbay. On this page you can find a summary of some of the activities that have taken place. This information is not exhaustive, so if you would like to know more please contact Safer Communities Torbay.

With reparation work, every effort is made to ensure that the task set relates in some way to the offence committed, and that it has some meaning. All reparation activities with young offenders in our area are arranged and supervised by Torbay Youth Offending Team.

Graffiti Projects

The ‘graffiti project’ was created in response to the increasing number of criminal damage offences committed in Torbay and is delivered in partnership with the ‘Graffiti Workshop’. So far, the project has been met with a positive response and it addresses some of the reasons that are causing young people to offend in this way.

The project involved young offenders creating a piece of graffiti art. The work taught young offenders about positive ways to use graffiti and discouraged them from offending by making them clean off unsightly graffiti and in some cases, where identified, their own.

Ongoing and regular supervised graffiti clean up activities are carried out by young offenders.

Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust

Torbay’s Youth Offending Team has teamed up with the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust to help keep our local beaches and woodland area cleans. Once a month supervised young offenders clean different sites throughout Torbay which have been identified by the Trust.

Open Spaces

As part of reparation, young people have been busy constructing an activity and allotment area in Hele, Torquay. The area includes seating and a place for young people to grow vegetables and plants. The area includes a totem pole which was designed and installed by young people and the local community, which is a focal point for the area.

Responding to the community

The Youth Offending Team works closely with Preston Community Partnership in Paignton on a number of reparation projects. Work so far has included help to restore memorial benches and ground maintenance.

As part of their reparation, young people help sand down and re-varnish old and worn out benches. Ground maintenance can include the tidying up of pathways and other activities which have been identified by the Community Partnership.

Working with schools

The Youth Offending Team helps with the upkeep of the nature garden at St Margaret’s School which includes garden maintenance. Work has also taken place to restore the school pond and to construct an arch made out of willow.

Lupton House

Lupton House is a hidden gem in Brixham. Now managed by a charitable trust, volunteers from the community are working hard to restore the Grade 2 listed building and its extensive grounds, to their former glory. The trust has used reparation activities to help with some of this work and so far activities have included ground works, painting and general renovation.

STEPS (Special Toys Educational Postal Service)

STEPS is a local charity based in Torquay. At STEPS, mainstream toys are adapted so that children can play independently with them, by switching on the toys through squeezing, pressing, bashing, blowing, and sucking... whatever movement the child has.

As part of reparation, young offenders attend STEPS to help apply switches to the toys, clean the toys and test batteries.

YMCA

Young offenders have provided reparation activities to support the YMCA. In Torbay, this work has included building maintenance, painting fences and interior painting.

Animals in Distress

Reparation activities have taken place with the charity Animals in Distress at Ipplepen. Young offenders are required to complete their reparation hours at the facility by cleaning accommodation areas and exercising animals.

Brixham Does Care

Brixham Does Care is a day centre which provides a place for people to meet and socialise. The centre offers support for people suffering from loneliness or ill health. As part of reparation, young offenders help assist in the kitchen at the centre and offer support with general maintenance of the building.

Hookhills Community Centre

Young offenders as part of their reparation, have been renovating a section of railings at Hookhills Community Centre in Paignton by way of cleaning and painting

Get involved

If you are involved with a community project and would like to be considered for reparation support, please contact Torbay Youth Offending Team on telephone 01803 201655.