Restorative Justice Week

Blackburn with Darwen Youth Justice Service is marking Restorative Justice Week with school visits and competitions.

Running all this week until November 27, International Restorative Justice week will help young people learn about the various initiatives that take place across the Borough to address conflict in a meaningful way and ensure that resolutions improve the cohesiveness within our communities.

Blackburn with Darwen Youth Justice Service achieved the Restorative Standard Quality Mark awarded by the Restorative Justice Council earlier this year. In relation to International Restorative Justice Week, Blackburn with Darwen Youth Justice Service hosted a poster competition.

Entries were invited from the two schools who had undertaken peer restorative justice training for their pupils.

Blackburn Central High School is the first school in the borough to have their pupils trained in Restorative Practice and Tauheedul Boys School, who have just completed the training were invited to take part.

David Fleming Service Leader of the Youth Justice Service and Kathy Bates, area team manager, judged the competition.  The prizes were given out at the end of the RJ training delivered by PC Dave Pascoe, Lancashire Constabulary, PC Kim Caughill and Joyce Carne, RJ co-ordinator, Youth Justice Service.

The pupils will deliver their own restorative intervention within the school. The winner of the poster competition will have their poster made into a jigsaw, which will then be used as a tool in RJ intervention and the posters will be placed in the YJS court room. A special prize was awarded to a poster that reflected the aspirations on Inter-Faith week.

Councillor Maureen Bateson, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Director of Children’s Services, said:

These competitions and events are a great and age-appropriate way to let young people know about restorative justice and gain a better understanding of what it is.

The posters were of a fantastic quality. The Blackburn with Darwen Youth Justice Service do a great job and it is really good to see positive outreach like this.”