Greater Manchester Probation Trust

Offenders Improve Denton's Hope Church

Offenders have worked at cutting back overgrowth and decorating at Hope Church in Denton.

During the project, which started in January, shrubs were cut back to improve the car park, and painting was carried out inside the church.

So far offenders, supervised by Tameside’s Community Payback Team, have completed 350 hours of work.

Judy Hooker, church elder at Hope Church, in Stockport Road, contacted the team after seeing an advert in the Tameside Advertiser describing community sentences.

She said: “We are all absolutely thrilled by the work being done.

“The overgrowth in the car park hadn’t been touched for 20 years, and they dug tree roots out and have made a tremendous difference.

“We then asked if they could decorate one of our buildings because we were unable to afford to get it done any other way. The work is of a high standard and we all really appreciate it.”

Carron Upton, Community Payback Supervisor, said she was delighted by the partnership with the church.

She added: “Offenders have been paying back to the community against which they offended, but also through the hard work they have completed they have been able to take pride in it.
”It means a lot to them to be told that what they have done is appreciated and to see members of the public benefit from their work.”