Fife Council’s Justice Social Work Service has delivered over 58,000 hours of unpaid work across Fife in 2024/25, providing an estimated £710,000 of value to local communities through the Community Payback Scheme. A significant share of this work has benefited North East Fife, where local parks, community facilities, and charities have seen tangible improvements.

This update was presented to members at the North East Fife Area Committee on 17 December, highlighting the positive impact of unpaid work orders, which are issued by courts as an alternative to custody, allowing individuals to make reparation to their communities while gaining skills and support to reduce reoffending.

In North East Fife, projects have included:

• Craigtoun Park and St Andrews Harbour – assisting with park maintenance, gala preparations, and property clearance.
• Playparks and green spaces – painting fences and railings at Guardbridge Playpark, maintaining Holly Park in Cupar, and clearing paths in Newburgh.
• Community facilities – decorating the Dolphin Centre in Tayport, painting the Corn Exchange in Cupar, and supporting Alzheimer Scotland’s gardening project in Wormit.
• Environmental work – regular litter picking along coastal paths and beaches from Leuchars to Elie, including Tentsmuir Forest and St Andrews West Sands.
• Charity partnerships – placements at Age Concern Cupar, Salvation Army shops in St Andrews, and Manna Café in Newport-on-Tay.

The scheme also focuses on rehabilitation, offering participants skills training and employability support. Six personal placements are currently available in North East Fife, with plans to expand further.

Cllr Jonny Tepp, Area Convenor for North East Fife said:“Community Payback is a win-win – it helps individuals turn their lives around while delivering real improvements to our towns and villages. From Cupar to Crail, the scale of work completed this year shows the value of partnership and the positive difference this scheme makes to local life.”