A SCHEME that allows hundreds of young offenders to make amends to those they have harmed may be scrapped because of a lack of funds.

The Children’s Society’s Restorative Justice Programme, in Billingham, near Stockton, has been making criminals face up to their crimes since 1999.

Its future is in doubt after the Government announced cuts to the funding it relies on.

Restorative Justice workers vet criminals to check they are suitable for the rehabilitation programme so victims do not suffer further distress.

The process has allowed hundreds of victims to gain answers from their attackers and often an apology by meeting them.

Youth justice programme manager Peter Lowe said: “The work we do is invaluable to the community.

“There is nothing more powerful than meeting faceto- face with a person.

“It has been so successful, so it will be devastating if we have to close.

“We are doing our best to save money and we have put some measures in place, but we are a not-for-profit organisation, so it is vital we receive funding from the local authority.

“We have been hugely successful and we want to protect more people.”

Those who have benefited include Sheila McCue, from Billingham, who took part in the programme after her son, Matthew, was left unrecognisable in a unprovoked assault as he walked home from work.

She never imagined helping his attackers see the error of their ways, but said she could not believe the improvement the scheme has made to her family’s lives.

Mr Lowe said: “David Cameron wants to support voluntary and community groups with his big society idea, yet the Government is cutting the funding.

“It is a bit of a contradiction.

All we are asking is that people look at the bigger picture.

We are not talking about needing huge amounts of money.”

Stockton Borough Council’s funding for the scheme will end on March 31. A spokeswoman said: “We have not made any decisions about future funding arrangements as we are currently carrying out efficiency reviews across all our services to help determine which programmes we can continue to support.”