A REVOLUTIONARY project in Okehampton to rehabilitate young offenders has won major funding of over £700,000 and vital backing from the Government Office South West.

Following the announcement yesterday (Wednesday) that C-FAR's bid for money from the European Social Fund has been successful, spokesman Richard White said this was a huge step forward in the organisation's fight to get the programme entirely funded by Central Government.

The money will represent 45 per cent of C-FAR's budget until December 2001.

The Centre for Adolescent Rehabilitation is currently on its third course at Okehampton Camp providing what it describes as a holistic, cost effective programme promoting personal development and empowerment for 16-24 year-olds locked in a cycle of persistent re-offending.

Trainees, who are taken from eight different prisons and risk-assessed before they are accepted onto the course, embark on a 'highly challenging and demanding' ten week programme followed by nine months' 'mentor' support.

Mr White said everyone involved in C-FAR was 'ecstatic' that the Government Office South West had accepted its application for money from the European Social Fund.

'This is a considerable bench mark for us,' he said. 'Not only does it mean that we can finance the project until the end of 2001 but the Regional Government Office has accepted the validity of what we are doing.

'To have a tick in the box from someone as big as this gives us hope that more statutory money will come in and we will move away from the voluntary sector into the statutory sector.'

Mr White said in all honesty they did not expect to get the money because 70 per cent of new applications failed.

'We did every bit of homework we could and developed what we considered a very efficient bid, but it is still quite amazing for a relatively new project like this to get that quantity of money from the Government Office.'

C-FAR, which was formed as a company three years ago but only started running courses in June when it was granted an 18 month lease by the MOD on part of Okehampton Camp, won European funding of £92,000 last year, but only on appeal.

Its aim now is to get the Government to 'put its money where its mouth is' and sponsor C-FAR.

'We cannot expect private circles to sponsor the project ad infinitum — now we have the backing of the Regional Office we want the Home Office to show us similar support.'

Mr White said at the present time 80 per cent of offenders who came out of prison re-offended within two years. C-FAR was committed to reducing that figure by offering rehabilitation and at the same time creating massive savings for the taxpayer.

He said it cost £12,000 a year to run the whole programme at C-FAR in comparison to between £1,800 and £3,400 for a one week placement in a local authority secure unit.

Mr White said despite some concerns before the project started from local people worried about the close proximity of young offenders, nothing but support had been received since then.

'Once people realised what was being achieved they really got behind the programme,' he said.

C-FAR has been asked to accommodate a regular intake of four young offenders from Portland Prison and has a large waiting list which is set to grow further with this latest news.