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Mow & Grow at top of RBS SE100 index

June 2009 saw Mow & Grow leap to the top of the RBS SE100 Index. Mow & Grow not only came top of the Growth section but scored a maximimum 5/5 for Social Impact. Director Claire Trotman said; 'This super result is a reward for our teams following Mow & Grow's value of "great service drives sales". We just focus on cutting grass, cutting crime, cultivating futures. The awards we win speak for themselves.'
Mow & Grow is currently forecasting further growth in 2009 of 300%+. See the RBS SE Index for more info.

.Jack Straw MP Secretary of State visits best practice scheme in Norfolk

05 March 2009

Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw MP visited offenders working on a community payback project run in partnership with local enterprise 'Mow and Grow'. Launched in 2006, 'Mow and Grow' runs an independent project working with offenders on supervision at Norfolk Probation to offer its free gardening services to elderly and vulnerable people in some of the most deprived wards in the area.

Speaking at the visit, Jack Straw said:

'I'm pleased to be in Norfolk today opening the new probation headquarters at Centenary House and seeing the positive work being carried out by offenders on community payback. This type of partnership with "Mow and Grow" not only improves the quality of life for residents and reduces crime and antisocial behaviour in the local community, but it also offers valuable work experience and skills to offenders.

'Community punishments like unpaid work can be more productive than prison in getting offenders to address the causes of their criminality. Offenders sentenced to "pay" for their crimes within the community can already expect to work hard, with no pay and significant loss of free time. But the type of unpaid work that can be seen here today provides training for offenders that can lead to real employment opportunities and a reduction in reoffending.

Trevor Lynn CEO of Mow & Grow said, "The reoffending rate following a short custodial sentences is 59.7%. These short sentences can lead to problems with employment, housing and family relations and there is insufficient time to tackle the causes of the offender's behaviour. The reoffending rate following a community sentences with Mow & Grow is currently 37.9%. All our offenders are offered meaningful work with accredited training. They leave us better qualified, and having a brighter future. In many cases this is the  first formal credit based qualification they've ever achieved. Our training includes horticultural qualifications through to basic numeracy, literacy and ICT skills.

Mow & Grow staff supervises over 5,000 hours of unpaid work by offenders in local communities each year.  Our  partnership with Norfolk Probation to support the community payback programme by supervising offenders on unpaid work projects in Norwich and the surrounding areas has been a huge success. We are now working with the Ministry of Justice to bring this partnership to other areas of the UK.