Unpaid workers make ‘real contribution’ to Carnegie Hall in Sandwick

13 November 2025 10:39

A stone wall separates a grassy field from a paved area beside a house with gas cylinders and distant houses visible in the background.

The wall outside the Carnegie Hall in Sandwick has been fixed by unpaid workers. Photo: Community Justice Scotland

UNPAID workers have helped to spruce up the Carnegie Hall in Sandwick through community service work.

A drystone dyke next to the building, which had fallen into disrepair, has been rebuilt and restored by people carrying out hours of unpaid work on behalf of Lerwick Sheriff Court.

And in the new year the interior of the hall is set to also be painted by a squad of unpaid workers.

The hall, in Shetland’s South Mainland, is a popular community hub and is often used for local groups as well as for concerts and events.

Council community payback officer Julie Halcrow – who co-ordinates the work – said it was great to see people carrying out unpaid work “make a real contribution to the local community”.

“Most recently that has involved someone using their skills to repair the drystane dyke and we’re looking forward to returning to carry out the paining work when the committee sees a window of opportunity,” she added.

People sentenced by courts to undertake unpaid work as part of a community payback order are given a specified number of hours to complete, which should have a focus on reparation and provide a clear tangible benefit to the community.

A damaged stone wall runs alongside a paved road, with grass and plants growing nearby. Several red gas canisters are stacked by a building in the background.

The wall before the work was carried out. Photo: Community Justice Scotland

As part of the sentence, they may also be required to take responsibility for their own behaviour by spending time on developing interpersonal, educational and vocational skills that help address the causes of their offending.

Over recent years, groups of people sentenced by the court to undertake a community payback order have carried out a number of projects contributing to the upkeep of the Carnegie Hall in Sandwick.

Management and supervision of people performing unpaid work is carried out by the justice social work departments of local authorities.

Help keep Shetland’s news open to everyone

Good local journalism takes time, care and people on the ground. Membership helps us keep reporting the stories that matter to Shetland — and keep them free for everyone to read. Members get a weekly newsletter created especially for them, local ads only, and can bookmark stories and join the conversation in the comments.

Community Justice Scotland’s head of insights, Gemma Fraser, said unpaid work was a “much more person-focused approach to give back to the community”.

“Most of the people will deliver the unpaid work in the community they live in, across a wide range of projects identified by the communities themselves.

“With more than 11.6 million hours of unpaid work carried out to date, these projects are of enormous value to communities, providing tangible local benefits as well as helping develop skills among those involved.”