Chance for offenders to carve out a career

The Little Hulton and Farnworth Partnership Single Regeneration Budget project has teamed up with the courts and Bolton College to run Offenders into work, a scheme aimed at helping equip ex-offenders with the knowledge, skills and qualifications to enter the world of work.

The offenders will receive training in basic construction work and will receive credits for the work they do. They could go on to join a career course or find a job.

They will tackle projects in the Farnworth and Little Hulton areas from working on community buildings, clearing derelict and neglected land, and safety initiatives.

"We see it as a way in which offenders can put something back into the community," said Partnership joint chairman, Cllr Noel Spencer.

"However, at the same time, they are gaining valuable experience under the tuition of Bolton College and the Probation Service to gain knowledge and experience which could stand them in good stead when either looking for work or going on to do further training. It's going to be a rolling programme, so hopefully no ??one will be turned down," he said.

The scheme is one of a quartet involving crime and community safety in the Partnership area.

Others include Community Watch, a scheme launched so far in two primary schools, Highfield in Farnworth and Bridgewater in Little Hulton, where local people, schoolchildren and local businesses work together to solve local community safety needs; and Witness Support Service which is for Bolton and Salford and will focus on supporting prosecution witnesses through the court process.

Safe, secure facilities will be made available in both Bolton and Salford Magistrates' Courts and a domestic violence project based in Salford which will target perpetrators and work on the attitudes of men who abuse women. ?

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