Offenders help preserve Fort Cumberland as part of community service
Work included maintenance and conservation
Offenders carrying out community service have been helping preserve Fort Cumberland by carrying out maintenance and conservation work.
People who have been sentenced to completing Community Payback work have been helping to maintain the 18th-century coastal fortress in Portsmouth, carrying out work in partnership with Historic England.
Community Payback is the delivery of unpaid work requirements ordered by courts as part of a community sentence, ensuring people on probation repay their debt to society by helping the communities they have harmed.
Gary Woods, 60, a Community Payback Supervisor in Portsmouth, has worked in the Probation Service for almost nine years and says the project stands out as one of the most unique he has overseen.
He said: "Fort Cumberland is one of the most significant heritage sites in the area, so having the opportunity to take Community Payback teams there was something really special.
"It's hard work but it makes a genuine difference. By helping maintain the site, the teams were supporting a historic attraction and helping preserve an important part of our local history.
"The offenders completing the work could see the impact they were having straight away. At the end of the day, they were able to look back at what they'd achieved and feel proud of the contribution they had made.
"That's what Community Payback should be about. It's not just about completing hours. It's about giving something back and leaving a place better than you found it."
Pauline Simpkins, Estates and Facilities Management Director at Historic England, said: “We are pleased to be a key partner in this excellent initiative, demonstrating how Community Payback can make a practical contribution to caring for and protecting our historic environment, while helping people to develop new skills, confidence and a sense of achievement.”