A scheme where council workers ‘buddy’ criminals has scooped an award.
Linda Tune, Lancashire Probation Trust’s business and commercial officer, and Bob Webster, who worked for Preston Council, were handed the prestigious Butler Trust Commendation from Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace.
The pair developed the county’s community payback scheme, where offenders work with council teams to clean the streets and clear fly-tipping and litter.
Mr Webster is now Street Scene manager at Chorley Council after first establishing the scheme at Preston Council.
In the last 12 months, more than 58,000 hours of community payback has been carried out by offenders working in partnership placements.
Linda Tune said: “It is such an honour to be recognised for the hard work we’ve put in by a national organisation like the Butler Trust. This is the culmination of hard work done by a huge number of people across Lancashire and, although Bob and I are receiving the award, it is the work of frontline staff across all the councils involved that has made the partnerships so successful.
“Working in partnership we’ve been able to achieve so much.”
The Butler Trust is an independent charity which recognises work in correction services across the country.
Kevin Robinson, chief executive of Lancashire Probation Trust, said: “This prestigious award recognises all the hard work put in by everyone involved in the scheme, but especially Linda and Bob, who have driven it forward to deliver great results.
“To have this kind of endorsement by the Butler Trust is a great honour. It underlines what we’re all striving to achieve – a rigorous and demanding programme for offenders, instilling a work ethic and steering them away from reoffending.”
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