Youngsters working with Hartlepool Borough Council’s Youth Justice Team produced 11 artworks on a Peter Pan theme for Burn Valley Gardens.
The Gardens, which connect Hartlepool with Family Wood, Summerhill and the wider countryside to the west, already have a Peter Pan theme.
But the new canvases enhance it– while letting the young people, who created them, put something back into their community.
The 13 young people, who produced the artwork, had all been involved in antisocial behaviour (ASB.)
Working on the restorative justice pilot Making Good allowed them to channel their energies and creativity into a project, which improved their community.
The aim of Making Good was to show that it’s more satisfying to make something good and care for the community than to become involved in ASB.
ASB causes bad feeling, fear, disruption and can, potentially, lead to criminal damage. It can also, ultimately, lead to a criminal record for those involved.
The 18-month Making Good pilot was managed by Hartlepool Borough Council’s Youth Justice Team. It was funded by the Home Office via the Office of Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey.
Cleveland PCC Matt Storey said: “It’s great to see so much creativity on display. I hope all of our Making Good projects have been as eye-catching as this one.”
Councillor Rachel Creevy, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Children’s Services Committee and Board Member of the Hartlepool Youth Justice Service, said: “I am so proud of our young people for the time they've taken to prepare for, and produce, these pieces of art.
“They all look fabulous and I'm sure they recognise the positive impact they have on the environment in the gardens. My thanks also go to the team who supported them to produce these.”
Cleveland was one of just 10 pilot areas in England and Wales funded by the Home Office to run Making Good.
The Government took the decision not to roll out the pilot to all forces in July 2024 due to budgetary constraints.
The pilot saw about £600,000-worth of Home Office funding poured into the Cleveland Police force area via a Government grant to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The Peter Pan statue in Burn Valley Gardens was originally presented by the Guides and Brownies to celebrate the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
