Volunteers are needed to bring Wandsworth's young offenders face-to-face with their victims as part of a new initiative.

The council's youth offending team is aiming to recruit 20 volunteers, aged 18 or over, to chair new youth offending panels.

Wandsworth's panels will form part of a nationwide scheme involving 5,000 volunteers, which is due to start in April.

Panel volunteers will receive training arranged around their work and personal commitments.

The panels comprising the offender, their parents, the victim and an adviser from the youth offending team aim to confront first-time offenders aged between 10 and 17 with the effects of their crime and encourage them to make up for their actions.

Referral order co-ordinator Adele Williams said: "Reparation could include a letter of apology, removing graffiti or cleaning up an estate."

She added they were looking for "committed, patient individuals with good communication and listening skills, who understood issues surrounding young people".

Remedial teacher Lucy Clarke, from Tooting, has applied for the panel. She said: "Ex-offenders are often affected by specific learning difficulties. Working with young people, it is good to have wide experience of different problems which can occur."

Cabinet member for care services, Councillor Jan Leigh, said: "This scheme sets out to prevent young people from re-offending.

"Panel chairmen are not magistrates but members of the community whose task it is to make individuals understand the consequences of their actions.

"Where young people are required to make amends, the lay members will ensure these tasks are properly carried out.

Adding that a a high calibre of volunteers were essential for the initiative to succeed, she said: "We are keen to involve people who feel they have the energy and the maturity to try this new approach."

For more details phone 020 8672 7074.

December 5, 2001 17:00