Bulwell teen relieved to avoid criminal record by paying back community

Pictured is people taking part in the day of action
-Credit:Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire


A Nottinghamshire teenager has spoken of his relief after avoiding a criminal record by paying back his community. The aspiring builder, who has been given the name 'E' to remain anonymous, has reflected on his mistakes after carrying out a theft - and is now determined to get on the right path to achieve his aspirations of becoming a builder.

The Bulwell teen was made aware of the scheme as a way of making up for his wrongdoing after he was arrested in Nottinghamshire on suspicion of theft. He was one of a handful of service users involved in a day of action recently which saw a clean-up take place on the Crabtree Estate in his hometown, with work including litter picking, cleaning graffiti and tidying up the surrounding areas including Steadford Close and Clayfield Close.

After completing his three-and-a-half-hour reparation, he is hoping he can put his past behind him as he embarks on the next steps of his life as a qualified bricklayer. E said: “One of the main benefits from taking part in immediate justice is how quickly you can make amends for the things you’ve done.

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“Being here and making a difference to the community is very rewarding and means I can create a new path for myself without worrying about having a criminal record. Having put the hours in along with other service users, I can now look forward to becoming a builder, which I might not have been able to get the qualifications for had I gone to court instead.”

The immediate justice project was launched in January 2024 and aims to ensure adults and young people who commit anti-social behaviour or low-level offences are made to clean up local streets or take part in other positive community activities – as soon as possible after their offence.

The initiative has been launched by Nottinghamshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Angela Kandola, who witnessed part of the day of action. She said: “The Crabtree Estate is at the heart of the community in Bulwell and having a day of action to tidy up the area is great for community cohesion.

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“It shows how impactful the immediate justice programme is, with partners coming together to help make a difference. We have seen local residents taking notice of the work being done, and this can only help raise awareness of the visible work being done to prevent antisocial behaviour and make Nottinghamshire safer.”

Bulwell ward councillor for Nottingham City Council, Cllr Michael Savage, said: “It’s a great idea to have the service users working hard to tidy up an area which has been in need of such work. We have had issues with anti-social behaviour but we are hoping with this work we can deter those that may have dropped litter or sprayed graffiti in the past.

“The immediate justice programme benefits all parties as it allows those carrying out the work to get back on the right path, while showing our community that work is taking place to keep their area safe and tidy.”