12 May 2009
Young offenders from the local Youth Offending Service (YOS) have been working hard to raise money for the RNIB as part of their community reparation work.
The youngsters have been working with the RNIB, the UK's leading charity offering information, support and advice to over two million people with sight loss. Over the past six months, as part of their community reparation work, the youngsters have been involved in the distribution and collection of RNIB "Sooty" collection boxes to businesses throughout the local area.
To date, they have raised an excellent £812.23, which will benefit blind and partially sighted people all over the UK through over 60 services that the RNIB provide.
Youth Offending Service Officer, Tony Hicks said, "The youngsters were really keen to do something positive that would really benefit the community, as part of their reparation work. They have worked extremely hard to help raise as much money as possible for such a worthy cause."
Cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Lyn Ackerman said, "Every day around 100 people across the UK are given the devastating news that they are losing their sight – I am full of praise for the local Youth Offending Service for using community reparation as a means of engaging young people in the charity sector, which in addition to raising significant funds for good causes, also provides the youngsters with important life skills such as citizenship."
One of the youths who has been taking part in community reparation with the Youth Offending Service said, "As part of my reparation work, I've taken part in litter picks, leaflet drops and manual work at the Cefn Fforest ECO Park, but I've found this work with the RNIB by far the most rewarding as it will make a real difference to people's lives.
I was also surprised by the sheer number of people who were willing to make a contribution and the number of people who knew someone or had relatives who suffered from varying degrees of sight loss."
For further information on the different types of volunteer roles within the RNIB, or to fundraise for the charity, please contact Joanne Williams, Community Fundraising Manager for Wales on 01554 746 271.
For further information on the Youth Offending Service, call 01495 235 623.
- Return to News