Arriva Trains Wales | YOUNG OFFENDERS PUT STATION BACK ON RIGHT TRACK

YOUNG OFFENDERS PUT STATION BACK ON RIGHT TRACK

A team of six young offenders from the Cardiff Youth Offending Service have completed an environmental improvement project at a Cardiff railway station.

Since October 2007 and as part of a restorative justice project coordinated by Arriva Trains Wales (ATW), the youngsters have given up their Saturday mornings to work alongside staff from ATW and supervisors from the Youth Offending Service at Ty Glas station, in the Heath area of Cardiff.

The Cardiff Youth Offending Service (YOS) is a statutory partnership under the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. It works in many different ways with young people aged 10 to 17 who have offended and offers support and guidance to their parents and carers.

Dave Creaghan, reparation supervisor for the Youth Offending Service, said: “Our main aim is to prevent re-offending by young people and this is the fourth station project our team has worked on. Projects of this kind help to increase personal confidence and allows them to feel a sense of achievement and pride in their efforts.”

Jez Williams, station manager for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “The object of this exercise was to give work experience to young people. They have learned new skills by cutting back vegetation and repainting more than 150ft of railings at the station. We are delighted with the standard of work, which has created a brighter and more welcoming environment for passengers.”

In recognition of their participation in the project, members of the Youth Offending Service have received certificates of accomplishment and complimentary tickets anywhere on the Arriva Trains Wales network.