MEMBERS of the community in Prestwich and Whitefield are being urged to play their part in a new approach involving young offenders.

For Bury Youth Offending Team (YOT) has launched a recruitment drive for volunteers.

They must be willing to be part of the "Youth Offender Panels" which are being established across England and Wales from next April.

Their responsibility will be to organise referral orders for young offenders.

This is a new approach to youth crime which brings members of local communities into the picture in the way that their young people are dealt with.

Local people sitting on youth offender panels will work with young offenders, their families and the victims of crime to help put right the harm and prevent future offending.

Bury YOT is now recruiting volunteers from across the borough to sit on these panels, which are a key element of the Government's strategy to prevent offending by young people.

They are looking for men and women of any age (18 or over) and from every ethnic and social background to help tackle youth crime in Bury. Potential youth offender panel members will be given full training to prepare them for this challenging but rewarding role.

The panels will agree contracts with young people as to what will be expected of them under the referral order and keep their progress under review.

Another role of the new bodies will give victims a chance to say how the crime has affected them, and what might help put things right.

The Youth Offending Team's referral order co-ordinator, Janis Wilson, said: "This is a great opportunity for people who care about youngsters getting into trouble to get involved in preventing them from re-offending in the future.

"It means that decisions on the best response won't just be taken by paid professionals, but by members of local communities who will also keep an eye on their progress."

She added: "Panel decisions will be informed by full information on why the offence happened and how any victims feel about it."

Bury YOT was officially launched in April of last year, bringing together police, social work, probation, education, youth work, health, careers and other staff with the aim of preventing offending by children and young people.

It is in the front line of the Government's new approach to tackling youth offending and is part of the wider approach being adopted in Bury to reduce youth crime by the town's Crime and Disorder Partnership.

Referral orders were created by the 1999 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act.

Upon national implementation next April, referral to a youth offender panel by way of a referral order from the courts will be available for young people aged 10-17 convicted for the first time.

The primary aim of a referral order is to prevent re-offending. The court will make the order for between three and 12 months, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

For more information on how to become a volunteer, contact Janis at Bury Youth Offending Team, on 0161 253

6862/5164.