Grounds Maintenance, Landscape Creation, Arboriculture, Sports Surfacing, Parks management, IOS Managing Safely Training, Ecology & Biodiversity, Grass cutting, Horticulture, Street Cleaning, Soft Landscaping, Hard Landscaping
idverde provides a wide range of green services, including grounds maintenance, landscape creation, and advice services, to both private and public sectors across the UK.
idverde, in collaboration with Wiltshire Council, is proud to announce the continuation of its successful partnership with the Youth Justice Service in Wiltshire, now entering its second year. This initiative provides young people with the opportunity to engage in reparation work at various locations throughout Wiltshire.
Since the project’s inception in March 2024, the participating locations have shown unwavering support, recognising the mutual benefits of this collaboration. To date, 14 young individuals have taken part in the program, with an additional 5 set to join soon. Each participant commits to sessions lasting approximately two hours.
The reparation work undertaken by the young people can be either direct, addressing the harm caused to the victims of their offences, or indirect, contributing positively to the local community.
Through these activities, it is hoped that young people will not only repair the harm caused by their actions but also develop new interests or skills that could enhance their future prospects. This experience may even lead to further training or work placements.
Young people are always consulted by their case workers about the types of activities they can participate in, considering factors such as medical needs, religious beliefs, and exclusion zones. All sites and activities are fully risk assessed to ensure safety. Efforts are made to determine which young people can work together, their availability, and the areas they can safely access.
Case workers inform young people of the date and meeting point for their reparation activities. Once at the meeting point, they are transported by a Wiltshire Youth Justice Worker to various sites around the county to carry out their tasks.
To date, over 23 young people have participated in various tasks, from hedge cutting to weeding and leaf collection in public areas. We currently collaborate with around 12 locations that offer reparation opportunities, and we welcome suggestions from the public or organisations for additional sites.
One young person recently completed his sessions in Amesbury. Veronica Butcher, Young People Support Worker at Wiltshire Council’s Youth Justice Service, shared her experience:
“I have been working with a young man in the central Amesbury area who has completed various tasks within his community. We focused on an area near the central car park around Boots Pharmacy and the Medical Centre, clearing pathways, weeding, pruning bushes, and collecting litter, including many discarded cigarette butts. This work demonstrated the importance of taking pride in one’s community, with the before-and-after results proving highly rewarding. Many passers-by stopped to commend our efforts, which significantly boosted the young person’s confidence and motivation.”
Paul Ashman, idverde’s Community Engagement Manager for Wiltshire Council, added:
“We are pleased to support the young people from the Youth Justice Service and the locations that offer these sessions. The partnership benefits all parties, bringing young people closer to nature through their work at various locations. This contributes to our community efforts in Wiltshire, with supportive locations benefiting from the extra pairs of hands that community reparation provides.”
