Perth prisoners step up after vandals trash primary school playground

When vandals attacked Our Lady's Primary School, the woodworkers at Perth Prison came to pupils' rescue

By Morag Lindsay

December 20 2024, 11:19am

Barry Sneddon (Regimes Officer, HMP Perth), Terry Donovan (Safer Communities Warden), Derek Brydie (Regimes Manager HMP Perth), Bailie Chris Ahern (Chair of the Perth and Kinross Community Justice and Safety Partnership), Scott Hunter (Unit Manager, HMP Perth), Mark Latta (Safer Communities Warden) and Kenny Black (Regimes Officer, HMP Perth) joined Our Lady's pupils Erik, Morven, Oliver and Amber for the presentation as part of Perth Prison's Good Neighbour scheme. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson

A Perth primary school has taken delivery of new benches and planters after vandals trashed its playground.

The wooden equipment is a gift to Our Lady’s Primary School from prisoners in HMP Perth.

And it’s the latest in a series of donations to the Perth and Kinross community, made as part of the prison’s Good Neighbour scheme.

Comrie Primary School, Craigie Primary School, and Godlyburn Primary School and Nursery have all received items.

Craigie Primary is about to get a new “buddy bench” from the jail team.

And benches have also been provided to Isla Court and Carpenter Court residential homes in Perth, as well as a care home in Fife, earlier this year.

Pupils devastated by vandalism

The children at Our Lady’s Primary School were said to be “devastated” by the vandal attack at the end of August.

Toys and gardening equipment scattered across Our Lady's Primary School playground — Vandals caused “significant damage” to Our Lady’s Primary School in Perth earlier this year. Image: Police Scotland.

Our Lady's School garden with plans dug up and thrown over grass — The children had worked hard on their garden before it was damaged. Image: Police Scotland.

Photos shared by police showed mud thrown at windows, graffiti painted on a wall and broken play equipment.

Plants were ripped up and benches tipped over in the pupils’ competition-winning garden.

Good Neighbour work prepares men for life outside Perth Prison

The Good Neighbour initiative is a way for men serving sentences at Perth Prison to pay back to the local community.

At the same time they are developing skills that might be useful after they are released.

Perth prison exterior — Perth Prison’s Good Neighbour project has benefited a number of community groups.

Tom Martin, Acting Head of Offender Outcomes at HMP Perth, said: “It means so much to the men in our care, who work in this initiative that they have this opportunity to bring such happiness to parts of the community we all share.”

Bailie Chris Ahern is chairman of the Perth and Kinross Justice and Community Safety Partnership.

He said: “This initiative is one we are looking to continue into 2025 – together with the Scottish Prisons Service, Unpaid Work, and Perth Bloom Groups – to benefit other local communities.”