New lease of life for C-FAR?

NOW that the former home of young offenders rehabilitation charity C-FAR has a new owner, there are fresh hopes the programme could be relaunched. Since C-FAR ? the Centre For Adolescent Rehabilitation ? went into liquidation in March, chief executive Trevor Philpott has continued working to create a new programme along similar lines, called Life Change UK. The centre?s former home Burdon Grange at Highampton was sold recently to investment company Orchard Properties, which could yet offer a lifeline to the pioneering charity. Mr Philpott says Orchard Properties have offered to support Life Change with the lease of Burdon Grange, but theoffer is dependent on the project securing future long-term funding. Mr Philpott said he was already in discussions with the Learning and Skills Council and local authorities about a funding package. But the key factor in the programme?s viability was to secure firm indications from correctional facilities in the South West that they would contribute to the cost of running the scheme. Mr Philpott said there had been many recent changes in the probation and re-offending system, but the aims of Life Change UK also appeared to be high on the Home Office?s agenda. He said: ?It all fits very neatly with the Home Secretary?s recent speech to the Prison Reform Trust. He said there was a real need for creative and innovative partnerships and programmes.? Mr Philpott said Orchard Properties, which owns a number of nursing homes in North and West Devon, had been ?very supportive? of the project. ?They were surprised at the very positive response they had from people in and around Highampton about C-FAR. ?It is another demonstration of how by working with the community you can reduce the level of fear and anxiety about our target group, and young people in general.? The Life Change programme would be run along very similar lines to how it was before C-FAR ran into cashflow problems this spring. ?However, there is a suggestion we reduce the length of the programme to eight weeks, which would enable us to put more people through in a year,? Mr Philpott added. A major stumbling block could be the time restrictions which the scheme faces. Mr Philpott said: ?Orchard Properties are being very supportive so far, but they are a business so they can?t afford to wait forever. ?If we don?t get an early decision from funders, Burdon Grange would be lost to us. That would be a tragedy in many ways. ?It is a fantastic asset, the potential of what it offers is amazing. All we are asking correctional services is to pay towards the delivery of the programme.? Andrew Orchard, of Orchard Properties, said the firm was ?very pleased? to have secured the property and was in the process of exploring proposals for its future use.