Two under 18 year olds in Swindon who were jointly responsible for an assault on another young person embarked on a sponsored walk to raise over £400 for Macmillan nurses – a charity close to their hearts.
Macmillan nurses are due to receive the funds from the young offenders –accompanied by their family – at the Youth Offending Team premises based in the town Centre (details below).
Councillor Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “It is always heartening to see young offenders learn from their mistakes under the supervision of the Borough’s Youth Offending Team. In this case, however, the two young men went as far as to design a poster and sponsor form for their charity walk, and then go on to raise over £400 for Macmillan nurses. They are a credit to young people in Swindon, and their ability to appreciate the harm caused by their behavior as well as do something positive to put it right.”
The two young people concerned (who cannot be named for legal reasons) were sentenced by youth court magistrates to a six-month Referral Order. Now well into three months of their order, they decided to make amends by exploring peer influences and how this can be perceived as bullying. In addition both are addressing how their actions impacted on the victim.
The Media are invited to meet staff, and the two young people and their families when they hand over the cheque to a representative from Macmillan nurses at 4.30pm on Tuesday 20 June at Clarence House, Euclid Street. The identities of all family members and the two young offenders are not disclosable.
