A GROUP of young offenders have paved the way for people to make the most of their garden.

As part of a project organised by Broadacres’ Community Involvement Team, young people from the Youth Justice Service spent a week creating a path in the garden area at the Rivendale extra care scheme in Northallerton.

The young people were undertaking community reparation as a way of making amends for harm they have caused to victims and the community.

Previously, residents had to walk over grass to get to the garden area at the back of the scheme, and this proved difficult for those with mobility problems.

But now, even people with wheelchairs are able to access the garden to help members of the residents’ gardening club plant flowers, fruit and vegetables, or to just enjoy some peace and quiet.

Resident William Collins, 83, said: “I can now get into the garden in my wheelchair and being able to be outside more has made such a difference to me.”

Broadacres funded the project and received support from Jewsons, who provided the materials, Anchorage Tool Hire, who donated tools, and Bedale Skips, who provided a skip free of charge to take away waste material

Andy Collinson, from the Youth Justice Service, said: “We have worked on several projects with Broadacres in recent years and the young people involved in this latest piece of work did an excellent job.

“It is pleasing to see organisations like Broadacres supporting the community reparation work we do to get young people to right the harm they have done and hopefully to stop then from offending again in the future.”