Greater Manchester Probation Trust

Offenders Blossom at RHS

24 Jul 2009

OFFENDERS have come up smelling of roses after winning two top gongs at the Royal Horticultural Society Show.
Greater Manchester Probation Trust's Community Payback Unit has helped plant two award-winning displays at this year's floral extravaganza, which is taking place at Tatton Park.

Manchester City Council designed a stunning flower bed, complete with solar panels, used tins and wind turbines to represent recycling, which landed a silver award. A second display which featured in the back-to-back garden category bagged bronze.
Offenders carrying out Community Payback, along with volunteers and council workers, were supervised by the local authority's Environment Awareness Officer Sarah Hawkins.
John Sentongo, who is on Community Payback, said: "I've not done anything like this before and it makes me feel proud to see so many people stopping to look at what we have done, taking pictures and enjoying the display.
"I definitely think doing this will help me stay out of trouble, it's given me confidence and confirmed my desire to enrol at university."
Keith Hall, who is also on Community Payback, added: "Obviously it's a punishment because I work and this is taking up a lot of my time and making it difficult for me to do my job.
"However, it's fantastic to have the job we've done here to be recognised in this fashion."
After the show the flowers are being transported to the Withington Adult Centre, where offenders will be transforming the Little Learners' garden.
Other bedding plants will be used to decorate areas of the city for the In Bloom competition.
Sarah Hawkins, who helps co-ordinate Manchester In Bloom, planned and organised the displays, along with input from Manchester residents.
She said: "It's our ultimate achievement to be recognised in this way at the RHS.
"We carry out a great deal of work across the city during In Bloom and one aspect of that is working with Community Payback.
"The work everyone has put in at the show has been absolutely fantastic, there has been no difference in the attitudes displayed by workers, volunteers and offenders and it has been a great experience."
Julie Crellin, a Community Payback Officer, added: "It's been rewarding to work alongside all the different groups and to take part in the RHS Show."