Community Payback
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Can 'Community Payback' help you?

No butts about it!

The Community Payback team provided the assistance of local offenders, in order to keep the city looking spic and span - as well as helping to save money by reducing street cleaning costs for local tax-payers.

According to research by the Keep Britain Tidy Group, smoking related materials remain the most widespread item of litter on streets in England. Every day UK smokers throw away about 200 million butts and because they are so small they are easily caught in paving stones, which makes them more difficult to clean away effectively. Not surprising then, cigarette butts are one of the top forms of litter on York's streets and the council spends £2m annually on street cleansing.

Iain Dunn, Street Environment Officer, City Of York Council explains more: “Last year, over an eight hour period, student volunteer from Summer Soul picked up over 30,000 cigarette ends. Unfortunately many people still don't seem to realise that cigarette butts are litter and that by dropping them they risk an on-the-spot fixed penalty notice of £75.

“We will be comparing the results of this year, against the number collected last year, to see if the council’s year long campaign has been effective in reducing cigarette butts dropped in York.

“Once again the York Community Payback team has come up trumps; this has been a fantastic event. The added value of Community Payback is that we can always come to them with work that might not otherwise be performed, and nine times out of ten the ideas are taken on.”

Ed Gray, Community Payback Manager York and Selby adds: “Cigarette butts can be extremely difficult to clear up and this costs both time and taxpayers’ money. I am delighted that the Community Payback team has been able to provide the manpower required to help the council achieve its’ aims. At the same time, offenders could be seen giving visible payback to the communities where they have caused most harm through their offending.”

Offender, Sean Harman, ordered to complete 80 hours Unpaid Work - commonly known as Community Payback, by the court, adds: “Fantastic - best day so far. Community Payback really makes you think before you do something silly and end up back in court.”

The Community Payback team regularly works on a number of projects for the council, including graffiti removal, footpath edging and litter picking throughout the City streets on a Sunday morning. Offenders wear orange hi-vis vests so local communities in York can see justice in action.

Community Payback projects: June 2010

Strensall Parish Council Reinstating public footpath and picking litter in village

Mayfields nature reserve Maintaining nature reserve and picking litter

Cheshire Homes Exterior and interior maintenance

Dunnington Church Maintaining graveyard and garden at the glebe elderly residential accommodation

York Museum Trust Various tasks including litter picking, weeding and repairing roof

Escrick Church Resiting gravestones, cutting back brambles and general graveyard maintenance

Selby District Council Cutting back weeds, clearing rubbish (Byram) and litter picking identified areas

Kexby Church Maintaining graveyard

City of York Council Litter picking city centre, alley clearance, pulling out Himalayan balsam along Fulford Ings, cleaning street furniture at Blue Bridge, clearing Lord Mayors Walk car park, litter picking on Little Knavesmire

Church Fenton village Maintaining wildlife project

St Andrews Church Maintaining churchyard and cleaning inside church in wet weather

Sustrans Maintaining cycle path, litter picking, painting out graffiti and cutting back overgrown vegetation

Hensall Maintaining graveyard

Poppleton Railway nursery Assisting at community nursery

British Heart Foundation Assembling and moving furniture and assisting on shop floor

York Housing Maintaining communal gardens

All Saints Church, Huntington Maintaining graveyard

Hempland allotment Maintaining allotment

All Saints Church, Upper Poppleton Maintaining graveyard

Dunnington village Assisting in Britain in bloom project

Selby Town Council Moving turf/compost heap on allotment

Selby rugby pitch Removing stones from pitch

Bootham Allotment Association Filling skip on site and general allotment maintenance

Christ The Light Church Maintain external area for Youth groups and other church users

Rawcliffe Country Park To litter pick the whole area

St Wolstan’s Church, Fossway Filling skip on site and general grounds maintenance

Graffiti Painting out graffiti at identified locations around the city and cycle paths

Naburn Parish Council Pulling up Himalayan Balsam from route 65 cycle path and footpath edges within the village

Stockton-On-The-Forest Church Maintain graveyard

Maintain graveyard Levelling unauthorised bike track