The group, supported by Women in Focus, undertook the task to renovate a room in The Ayrshire Hospice in Ayr, as part of a community-based project. The project involved planning and budgeting as well as undertaking all practical aspects of the re-fit, painting, decorating and making soft furnishing, ably led by staff from Impact Arts. Women in Focus, launched last year by Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary is an innovative service delivered by Barnardo's Scotland. WiF works with young women from East, North and South Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway. The service is today, celebrating the first of what they hope will be many successes in community-based projects. Six women who participated in the renovation at the hospice will be awarded certificates for successfully completing the programme.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "Women in Focus is an innovative initiative and it is clear that it is already making a very positive impact in a short space of time. If we are serious about tackling reoffending rates in this country we need to tackle the underlying causes which so often fuel the crime and we need to help people reintegrate back into society. Giving people the confidence and skills which can help them get a job once they have served their sentence can help them turn their back on crime.

"For many of the women involved, the hospice renovation project offered the chance to get involved in valuable new experiences that will only help as they aim to improve their personal circumstances and this new group room will benefit the community too. The successful completion of the renovation project has given all of the women involved something of which they should be very proud.

"It underlines what this project is all about � rebuilding lives by giving the women involved opportunities to identify and develop their skills, to gain confidence in their abilities and develop a personal sense of worth. I commend Barnardo's Scotland, South West Scotland CJA and its partner local authorities and other key agencies for the work done so far and look forward to learning of further successes." This service, in partnership with South West Scotland Community Justice Authority, works with women offenders who are on community based orders and supports them to deal with some of the issues which contribute to their offending and lack of integration in their local community. Although the primary focus is intervention with the women, a significant number of them have children. Barnardo's Scotland works with these families to ensure that the emotional wellbeing and safety of the children is also addressed.

Through the recent development of a groupwork programme the women have been working on aspects of personal development and community involvement. One of the exciting aspects of this programme was the opportunity for the Barnardo's Women in Focus Service (WiF) to work in partnership with Cazbro Coaching and Impact Arts � both organisations have a proven track record in delivering positive outcomes to those who face significant life challenges. The six women who participated in this group will today be awarded certificates from Cazbro Coaching for successfully completing the programme. One participant stated that she has gained 'much more confidence within myself' and added that the experience has made her 'take a long hard look at my life'.

Janet from Ayrshire, one of the members of the group, said: "I'm glad I was referred to Women in Focus, they've helped me through a very difficult period of my life and helped me realise I have a future. I was in a very dark place when I was first referred to WiF. Through their support I have been able to complete my probation order, attend a couple of personal development programmes which have given me back my self-respect, self-belief and a sense of hope for the future. I feel I am there for my children and not preoccupied by my own problems � we are now much happier as a family.

"I now want to give something back and am looking forward to working with the staff of WiF to develop peer support programmes which will help to give other women in similar situations to myself the support to get their lives back on track and become valued members within their communities." Angela Curran, Service Manager at Women in Focus, said: "The women we work with in Women in Focus have a range of problems, often quite severe and longstanding. A significant number of them have endured life experiences that many of us would struggle to manage. Often these experiences are the trigger to other behaviours that can lead to chaotic, problematic lifestyles and criminal behaviour. In these circumstances a custodial sentence only exacerbates the situation breaking ties with children, families and their community. Our support offers practical solutions and emotional support, which enables them to address their problems, care for their families, stay in their communities and hopefully desist from offending.

"The success of this service is evident through the increased number of women who successfully complete their orders and the decreasing number of reconvictions. The added value of this service is that, through specialised support, many women can regain control of their life choices, be competent parents and experience a sense of inclusion and connection within their local community." This innovative service works with young women from East, North and South Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway who are currently serving community based orders. Women in Focus is the only service in Scotland which works with women offenders in this way. On average the cost of maintaining a women serving a custodial sentence is around £36,000 per year. The cost to South West Scotland Community Justice partnership for the services of WiF is around £1,750 per women per year. The service hopes to continue to provide this service in the local communities working with women in the area who will benefit from the service.