A Government sponsored initiative "Community Payback" has been launched involving the National Probation Service.
Unpaid Work - or Community Service as it was once known - has been in operation for over 30 years and is one of probation's most successful interventions. Offenders are sentenced by the courts to perform up to 300 hours of Unpaid Work for the benefit of the community. A sentence of Unpaid Work is often ordered by magistrates for offences such as anti-social behaviour, vandalism and graffiti.
Community Payback is an initiative to involve the public in the selection of Unpaid Work projects which allows the Probabtion service, Metropolitan Police and local authorities to use the Communty Punishment Offenders in a scheme called "Payback". This involves working in the community to improve conditions and public safety.
A group of offenders have been carrying out their "Payback" work on Putney Heath, helping to open up some areas of dense scrub and undergrowth to keep the pathways clear and improve visibility which will help to keep the area safe for regular Commons users.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Retirement of Conservators
Farewell to Two Long-Serving Commons Conservators
At the March Board meeting of the Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators the Chairman, David Devons, expressed his sadness at the retirement on 5 April of two of the elected Conservators, Elizabeth Witts and Tony Drakeford.
The Chairman commented, “Elizabeth Witts has been a Conservator for 27 years, and has been Chairman for eight years, made up of two periods of five and three years, respectively. She has an enormous experience and knowledge of the working of the Commons, which has been of immense value to the Board. Her determination, perseverance and sound judgment has constantly kept the Conservators on the right course. She has frequently brought the Conservators down to earth by asking whether a considered course of action was “good for the Commons”. This has earned her the epithet “the conscience of the Commons”. As Elizabeth will not be moving out of the area, I am sure that the Office and the Board will continue to receive her comments and advice!”
“Tony Drakeford has been a Conservator for 12 years and Vice-Chairman since 1997. Before I became a Conservator, also in 1994, I had known of Tony simply as “the butterfly man”. This description was clearly incomplete because Tony is just as knowledgeable on birds, insects, fish, trees and plants; if it moves or grows, Tony knows all about it. He is also well-known for his frequent public walks on the Commons, which are both informative and amusing. Even if Tony does move to Kingston, I hope he will still keep an eye on the Commons.”
At the March Board meeting of the Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators the Chairman, David Devons, expressed his sadness at the retirement on 5 April of two of the elected Conservators, Elizabeth Witts and Tony Drakeford.
The Chairman commented, “Elizabeth Witts has been a Conservator for 27 years, and has been Chairman for eight years, made up of two periods of five and three years, respectively. She has an enormous experience and knowledge of the working of the Commons, which has been of immense value to the Board. Her determination, perseverance and sound judgment has constantly kept the Conservators on the right course. She has frequently brought the Conservators down to earth by asking whether a considered course of action was “good for the Commons”. This has earned her the epithet “the conscience of the Commons”. As Elizabeth will not be moving out of the area, I am sure that the Office and the Board will continue to receive her comments and advice!”
“Tony Drakeford has been a Conservator for 12 years and Vice-Chairman since 1997. Before I became a Conservator, also in 1994, I had known of Tony simply as “the butterfly man”. This description was clearly incomplete because Tony is just as knowledgeable on birds, insects, fish, trees and plants; if it moves or grows, Tony knows all about it. He is also well-known for his frequent public walks on the Commons, which are both informative and amusing. Even if Tony does move to Kingston, I hope he will still keep an eye on the Commons.”
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