A war memorial in Mansfield has been given a much-needed makeover thanks to a new scheme allowing residents to identify public spaces that can be cleaned up by people doing community reparation.

A recent Immediate Justice Day of Action saw significant improvements made to the Ladybrook war memorial.

Three service users took part in the community effort, trimming hedges, picking up litter, jet washing the memorial, and tidying up the surrounding area, leaving it transformed.

It was the result of a public referral made through the new Fix My Street website — the first of its kind since the service went live.

The Fix My Street platform, which can be accessed on the website of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, enables residents to highlight areas in need of attention, allowing offenders who have committed anti-social behaviour to make amends by carrying out vital community reparation within days of their offence.

Deborah Brown, treasurer of Ladybrook Friends Community Group, which made the Fix My Street referral, said she was over the moon and thanked the Immediate Justice team following the clean-up.

“The memorial will hopefully now be somewhere that the community can go to sit, take a tranquil moment, and remember loved ones while enjoying the newly-improved surroundings.

“The team has done a beautiful job of cutting back brambles and generally tidying up. Hopefully they were able to reflect on their lives while doing something positive for the community.

“Thank you to all the team that helped, not only with the clean-up but for allowing this to be possible to help with the whole appearance of local community sites.”

The Immediate Justice scheme, spearheaded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, ensures that individuals who commit low-level offences or engage in antisocial behaviour swiftly take responsibility for their actions by contributing to the upkeep of local communities. The initiative focuses on improving public spaces, while offering offenders an opportunity for rehabilitation and positive contribution.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: “It’s fantastic to see how much of a difference the Immediate Justice Day of Action made to the Ladybrook war memorial.

“The transformation is truly impressive, and it highlights the positive impact that this scheme can have on local communities. What’s more, this was the first project driven by a Fix My Street referral, which shows how residents can directly influence the work that’s being done and ensure that areas of concern are tackled quickly and effectively.”

Since the launch of Immediate Justice, numerous areas across Nottinghamshire have benefited from similar initiatives.

The Fix My Street webpage, powered by the SocietyWorks platform, gives residents the opportunity to pinpoint areas in their community that need attention. Once a referral is made, the Immediate Justice team assesses the location and decides on an appropriate course of action.

Coun Angie Jackson, portfolio holder for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities at Mansfield District Council, said: “Immediate Justice is really important on two levels. The first is being able to give something back to the local community that the offender may have wronged.

“Secondly, what’s very important is that they embark on a programme of education and training connected to this, so that they can make better choices in the future. So it’s good for the community but also good for the offender, hopefully setting them off on a different, more positive path.”

Gareth Fuller, chair of the Mansfield branch of the Royal British Legion, added: “This clean-up should be seen as an opportunity to recommit to ensuring the memorial stays looking renewed and certainly a lot better than before, making it an even more special place to honour our fallen.”

To report an area near you for a clean-up, or to find out more, go to www.immediatejusticenotts.co.uk