In January 2023, we embarked on an exciting journey to build the world’s first restorative justice postcode in SE16 London! This local initiative is linked with our global effort to boost restorative justice as a world social justice movement. It is an evidence-based programme founded upon the restorative justice value of power-sharing and delivered through a series of direct services from our Community Centre.
Basic Principles and Rationale of the Programme
RJ4All strongly believes that the root causes of societal problems such as poverty, community tensions and inequality are found in the abuse of power, whether this resides within individuals, institutions, or governments. We also have evidence to believe that public trust in public services is declining and that a new social contract between communities and governments is needed. Communities need and want to be empowered!
Designed through a user-led methodology and by involving our local community from the outset, this pioneering project is built on the principle that sustainable community cohesion and resilience require structural and systemic changes at the local level. Key principles of the programme include empowering local communities to take part in decisions affecting their lives and ensuring service delivery is community-led through power-sharing and decision-making. It utilises the restorative justice ethos as a methodology of community empowerment and voice.
The programme is designed and owned by the community, ensuring it is tailored to their specific needs and contexts, emphasising community ownership. At RJ4All, we do what it says on the tin “restorative justice for all”. Our model is not for us to own, but for diverse communities to use with our support. It is carried out in partnership with local stakeholders and we hope to be able to replicate it across the UK and the world!
Our vision
Our long-term vision is to establish a replicable paradigm of “restorative justice postcodes” that can be replicated across the UK and the world! To this end, we connected this programme with our International Restorative Justice Pledge and The International Fellowship of Restorative Justice Practitioners (IFRJP) .
This pioneering initiative, launched on January 1, 2023, after extensive preparation and community engagement, aims to create a new social contract between communities and governments. By utilising restorative justice principles such as power-sharing, equality, dignity, respect, and participatory decision-making, the project seeks to foster a more equitable distribution of local power and address harm through restorative justice practices.
We want key stakeholders, including voluntary, community, private, and public services, to commit to restorative justice values through a Restorative Justice Postcode Memorandum of Understanding, ensuring that these principles guide their daily practices. We aim for them to actively collaborate in alleviating poverty, reducing crime, supporting young people, celebrating diversity, and repairing harm based on the principles and practices of restorative justice.
Narrated by RJ4All’s Founder and Director Dr. Theo Gavrielides, the video (5 minutes) articulates his vision of building the world’s first restorative justice postcode.
In this transformative model, community members’ voices are amplified, and conflicts are resolved through dialogue rather than adversarial methods, promoting a cohesive and empowered community where people feel included in decision-making processes that impact them.
What does success look like?
The postcode programme was designed as a long-term vision. Within this vision, we set 10 years as the time framework that will scientifically test the following outcomes:
Community cohesion is improved through a more equal distribution of local power, and the implementation of the restorative justice values of power-sharing, equality, dignity, respect and involvement in decision-making.
Poverty and disadvantage leading to community tensions and violence are reduced through the provision of a holistic, local offer owned by the community (e.g. foodbank, physical and mental health services, education and volunteering).
Recorded crime and anti-social behaviour are reduced through relationship building between local government, the community sector, housing providers, schools and criminal justice agencies as well as between state agents and community members.
Hate attitudes, xenophobia and exclusion, gender-based violence and discrimination are reduced through community-based approaches and voice.
Police and criminal justice case-load is increasingly diverted to community-based approaches such as restorative justice both prior and post-prosecution.
Conflicts in formal (e.g. schools) and informal (e.g. youth clubs) educational settings and bullying are reduced through an increase in educators and youth workers’ knowledge, skills and awareness of restorative justice including peer mediation.
Residents’ conflicts, antisocial behaviour and youth violence are reduced in housing estates, local businesses and the community through empowerment and our positive approach vs the deficit model of reducing risk.
The community’s wellbeing, voice and confidence is improved providing real evidence of impact at the local, national and international levels.
What is RJ4All doing to build the first restorative justice postcode?
This long-term project formally started on the 1st of January 2023. It took us two years of preparation and a history of a total of 10 years of community work to get us to this starting date. To this end, we created four interlinked arms to achieve this objective: the RJ4All International Institute, RJ4All Sports, the RJ4All Community Centre (in SE16 London), and RJ4All Publications.
So, far we have completed three steps in our 10 year journey:
Following the programme’s launch, the first step was to articulate and agree on our vision in a collective and restorative way. We first did this internally at our Annual Away Day and subsequently launched our new strategy, which is always updated and upgraded with further strategic aims and goals.
The second step was to formally launch our own community services. Over two years (2021-22), we worked hard to turn what used to be a run-down building into a vibrant community centre that is free and accessible to all. The Centre offers a wide range of activities tailored to meet local needs, including well-being circles, a food bank, cook and connect classes focusing on culture and nutrition, gardening and green projects, sports and mental health services, a community gym and library, a reconciliation service, a warm hub, digital drop-ins, and Youth Clubs+. Furthermore, our regular community consultation “Speak Up” events have become a cornerstone event, addressing and discussing critical issues such as community disempowerment, youth crime, anti-social behaviour, lack of community spaces, and the erosion of trust in public authorities due to perceived power abuse and lack of accountability. Our research highlights the need for enhanced efforts to establish community spaces, secure long-term funding for essential services, bridge trust gaps, and continue restorative justice work by broadening its provision and investing in community prevention and direct intervention. All these activities have become a process that gradually shifts local power to them while addressing their direct needs, getting their voices heard by the local powerful and increasing a sense of belonging.
The third step was the development of a Steering Group. The SG, consisting of community and faith leaders, local councillors, businesses, the local authority, and community organisations, meets quarterly to advise, scrutinise, and support the pilot. This group plays a crucial role in ensuring the programme’s success by providing strategic direction, promoting community voice, and facilitating partnerships that enhance the programme’s impact.
We are now read to take the next steps in the development, piloting and rolling out of this vision. Watch this space!
The Restorative Justice Postcode Steering Group
By default, restorative justice is a collaborative process and thus we have created a Steering Group to guide this programme. It’s primary function is to offer strategic support, guidance, scrutiny and strategic leadership. Moreover, it will:
Steering Group Members
Cllr Stephanie Cryan
Southwark Council
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John Scarbourough
Millwall Community Trust
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Matthew Allgood
Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities
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Richard Pages-Jones
Albion Primary School
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Chris Straker
Hull Centre for Restorative Justice
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Simon Chambers
Independent Consultant
Dr. Margaret Greenfields
Anglia Ruskin University
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Keir Wilson
Street Games
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Vimal Pandya
Rotherhithe Community Kitchen
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Dr Howard Wilson
University of South Wales
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Dr. Charlotte Fernandes
Executive Headteacher
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Dave Walker
Calm Mediation
Learning While Doing Philosophy and Data Collection Process
The programme is grounded in our “learning while doing” philosophy, which involves continuously gathering scientific data and community feedback to refine and improve the initiative. This approach ensures that the project adapts to community needs and leverages real-time learning. Our data collection process is detailed in our Research Protocol, which employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods for robust analysis.
Therefore, the programme has an in-built mechanism for ongoing data collection, which has been formally accepted by our Research Ethics Board. This mechanism has led to several impact reports, offering valuable insights and highlighting new learning areas such as new technologies for connections, partnership delivery models, language barriers and misconceptions about restorative justice, the importance of locality for community connections, and strategies to address barriers faced by disengaged groups.
Our impact
We capture our impact through monthly quantitative and quarterly qualitative reports. Our quarterly impact report series are drawn from community forums that we hold and offer a thorough insight into:
- The community impact of our project both at the individual and group levels
- The Role and Contribution of the Steering Group: Highlights the vital contributions and activities of the RJ4All steering group, showcasing their pivotal role in guiding and shaping our initiatives.
- Project Development and Adjustments: Provides crucial updates on the progress, evolution, and any adjustments made to ongoing projects. This section ensures transparency and keeps stakeholders informed about the dynamic nature of our work.
- Feedbacks, Demands, and Hopes from Community Members: Presents valuable feedback received from community members, capturing their demands and hopes. This section serves as a direct channel for community input, ensuring our initiatives align with the needs and aspirations of those we serve.
In September 2025, during the Mayor’s Community Weekend, Neil Coyle MP visited the restorative justice postcode and observed community-led restorative practices in action at the Rotherhithe Community Centre. Using a restorative justice approach, we aim to enhance safety and strengthen community cohesion. Read more in this event report.
We want others to learn as we deliver this programme and therefore we make our reports public as below:
