Offenders get Nene Valley Railway ready for summer visitors

Families heading to Nene Valley Railway this summer will be enjoying a visitor experience made possible, in part, by offenders serving community sentences.

The supervised teams, completing court-ordered unpaid work requirements, have supported the charity to get ready for the busy summer season with track repairs and grounds maintenance.

Community Payback is the delivery of unpaid work requirements ordered by courts as part of a community sentence, ensuring people on probation repay their debt to society by helping the communities they have harmed.

Teams have carried out heavy construction work on site, including replacing sleepers and ballast on the tracks, as well as landscaping, pathway maintenance, painting, and general grounds upkeep.

The improvements have helped prepare the heritage railway for a programme of summer events for young train enthusiasts during the school holidays.

Tracy Spring, General Manager for Nene Valley Railway said: “The support provided by the Community Payback team has had a significant positive impact on our organisation. As a heritage railway, we rely heavily on volunteers, and due to financial constraints employing additional resources to do the work is simply not possible.

“The team support in delivering essential maintenance and infrastructure projects, helping us to keep the railway safe, operational, and preserved for future generations.

“The partnership delivers real community value.”

As well as supporting the charity, the unpaid work teaches offenders practical construction and landscaping skills which can help them turn their backs on crime.

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Catherine McKinnell, said: "Projects like this make sure offenders give back to the communities they've harmed through hard, manual work.

“As well as supporting valuable charity run attractions like Nene Valley Railway the unpaid work means offenders gain skills and work experience, helping them to find employment and reduce reoffending.

“Delivering punishment that also works to cut crime will make our streets safer and better protect the public.”

This work means local families can make the most of the government's Great Summer Savings campaign, which is helping make summer more affordable for families across the country.

To support the initiative Nene Valley Railway are offering children’s travel for £1 on selected dates and reduced children’s lunch boxes in their Heritage Railway Cafe.

Community sentences are made up of thirteen possible requirements that those convicted of offences are expected to meet, which include restrictions like unpaid work tasks and treatment programmes they must carry out in the community.

The expansion of punishments outside of prison, like community sentences, is part of wider landmark sentencing reforms implemented by the government to ensure order in the prison system and make sure we have cells available for dangerous criminals.

The government are making long-term fixes to the prison and probation crisis by building 14,000 prison places and investing £700 million to strengthen the probation service – so that we can lock up more dangerous offenders, ensure punishments cut crime, protect victims, and make our streets safer.