Information on Loughborough

Football legends help celebrate success of youth offending service

Posted on 03/12/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Chief Executive's

2 December 2009

Football legends help celebrate success of youth offending service

Leicestershire County Council's Youth Offending Service has been rated as one of the very best in the Country.  The Youth Justice Board rated the service as Outstanding, the highest rating possible.  

To celebrate this success, over 100 invited guests including young people – their parents and carers,  staff, volunteers, members of the management board and key stakeholders were invited to a special event at County Hall last week on Friday. Guests included former Leicester City Fooball Club legends Steve Walsh and Muzzy Izzet, who presented awards to some of the young people for their exceptional progess.

In 2008/09 re-offending rates in Leicestershire reduced significantly by 26.5% and the number of new entrants into the youth justice system reduced by nearly a third at 32%.

The event at County Hall included a special awards ceremony.  Volunteers were praised for their exceptional contributions to the Youth Offending Service and young people were rewarded for their outstanding progress.  Roger Wilson, Chairman and David Parson's Leader of Leicestershire County Council  presented some of the awards.

Byron Rhodes, Deputy Leader of Leicestershire County Council, said:

"The County Council's Youth Offending Service has once again been recognised for its outstanding work.  This is a tremendous achievement and I would like to thank everyone who helped to achieve this success by transforming the lives of our young people and proctecting our communities.   We need to maintain this target and continue tackling youth crime and anti-social behaviour in our area.

“I was pleased to hear from some of the young people themselves about how the Youth Offending Service has helped them to change for the better – Well done to them all! "