An innovative project in Nottingham is aiming to improve the way Community Payback is delivered across the country – helping to break the cycle of reoffending and improve outcomes for people on Community Payback schemes – unpaid work done by people on probation in their local communities.
The ‘New Roots – Branching Out’ project is being run by Nottingham charity, The Renewal Trust, in partnership with East Midlands Probation Service Community Payback team with funding from Scottish Power Foundation. It gives people on probation green skills, training and work experience; while also connecting them with nature and each other to support their mental health.
Around 40% of people on probation are experiencing a mental illness at any given time, but not all of them will be accessing treatment or support. Contact with the Probation Service can provide an opportunity to engage people with support who may not otherwise access it.
The project is run at St Ann’s Allotments in Nottingham – one of the oldest and largest collections of Victorian detached town gardens in the UK and a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation with a range of rare wildlife. As well as providing allotment gardens to local people, the Grade 2* English Heritage site is also home to a number of community organisations. The Renewal Trust is a tenant at the site and has allotment gardens and a community orchard.
Adam, ‘New Roots – Branching Out’ Project Officer, explained:
“People on probation are an integral part of the work we do here and our aspirations for the future. For example, we’ve transformed three neglected and overgrown allotment plots into an outdoor community space so we can run events and activities for local people, grow food, and encourage nature to thrive.
“The project is an opportunity for people on probation to learn in-demand green skills like coppicing, hedge-laying and pond building, increase their knowledge of nature, and develop transferable skills such as problem solving and teamwork. They’re also benefiting from spending time in nature, which has been shown to be good for both physical and mental health.
“For me, the crux of the project is that together, we can all learn, develop and change, in turn supporting the natural world and ourselves.”
The importance of allotments has been highlighted by new research carried out by Rhys Furlong, a lecturer in Positive Psychology at the University of Northampton and a PhD student at the University of Derby – in partnership with The Renewal Trust.
Having contact with nature for between 120 and 300 minutes a week can significantly benefit people’s physical and mental health. It can reduce stress and mental fatigue, decrease depression, and increase vitality. Beyond that, Rhys’s research shows that allotment gardening supports people’s sense of identity, empowerment and social connection, while providing high-quality greenspace in low-income areas.
Daniel, Community Payback Supervisor, Probation Service, East Midlands region, explains what he thinks makes ‘New Roots – Branching Out’ different from other Community Payback unpaid work schemes.
He said:
“One of the main differences is that people on probation work alongside Adam, The Renewal Trust’s Project Officer. They are part of planning set projects, which provide a lot more structure and a sense of purpose. For example, they’ve helped to create a wildflower meadow, wildlife pond and community woodland.
“The project also taps into skills that fire the imagination and provides the space to have conversations with role models like Adam – so they can see someone using those skills in a job.”
Charlie* chose to return to St Ann’s Allotments as a volunteer after completing his Community Payback hours, and has since gone on to get a job.
He said:
“I grew up in a little village in Northamptonshire, so I used to be in country fields, down by reservoirs, jumping in lakes. I loved that stuff. I like being outside and learning new skills at the same time as being in nature. One of my favourite tasks is tree pruning.”
Tommy* completed his Community Payback hours via a work experience placement at St Ann’s Allotments.
He said:
“I grew up in Shropshire, and before I came to university in Nottingham, I did a lot of outdoor stuff like making rope swings over ditches. Then, at university, I didn’t go out of the city for four years.
“Being in nature and fresh air is good for you, and the air feels fresher here than 20 minutes down the road. There needs to be more opportunities for people to be in nature. Not just to stand in it and then go to the pub, but to learn about it. Understanding it makes you feel as if you can make a difference.”
Cherry Wells, CEO at The Renewal Trust, concluded:
“We’re planning to continue our partnership with East Midlands Probation Service, while sharing the findings of our ‘New Roots – Branching Out’ project nationally. Hopefully, it will inspire other projects to focus on the restorative power of nature. The more we give back to nature, the more nature gives back to us, which is a powerful lesson for us all.”
*Names have been changed to safeguard service users’ identity and privacy.
