A TEAM of offenders completing court-ordered unpaid work have supported restoration efforts at the grade II listed St John the Baptist Church in Midsomer Norton.

‘Community Payback’ is a form of unpaid work that can be ordered by courts as part of a community sentence, ensuring offenders repay their debt to society by helping the communities they have harmed.

The work has also given the group of offenders practical garden maintenance skills, helping them prepare for future employment opportunities.

Learning from the community payback supervisor from the Probation Service, they have successfully raised tree skirts by removing any branches touching the ground. This allows air to circulate, improving tree health and keeps the site clean and tidy.

Community sentences are made up of 13 possible requirements that offenders are expected to meet, which include restrictions, tasks and treatment programmes they must carry out in the community.

These types of sentences punish and rehabilitate offenders by combining restrictive requirements like electronic monitoring tags with rehabilitation programmes such as drug, alcohol or mental health treatment, to tackle the root causes of offending, making our streets safer.

Courts can order offenders to complete between 40 and 300 hours of community payback as part of their sentence.