A group of participants from the Community Service by Offenders Scheme have completed the refurbishment of eight public benches in the Town Square in Kirkcaldy.

The project was done in partnership between Fife Council's Criminal Justice Service who manage the Scheme and the Parks and Countryside service and involved removal of the benches, complete refurbishment and replacement in the Town Square. The work was supervised carried out both on site and in the Community Service workshop.

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Bill Kinnear, Service Manager for Criminal Justice Services with Fife Council explained how the Community Service scheme works:"The Scheme works with people who have received a Community Service Order as a direct alternative to custody or detention. Offenders must undertake work which is of benefit to the local community, and they have to complete their order within 12 months."

The positive outcomes of the scheme were endorsed by Cllr Tim Brett, Chair of the Social Work and Health Committee:"This project is a good example of the positive benefits of the Community Service scheme. The community receives a direct benefit from the work, so the offenders are giving something back to society, and they are also getting a personal sense of doing something worthwhile."

(GK/JM)