The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, England, and the Dorset Community Service unit have won the Partnership of the Year award at the 2005 National Justice Awards for its work with offenders.

Chosen from more than 300 nominees due to its programme for offenders, the Dorset partnership mainly works with 16- to 24-year-olds.

The project aims to increase the employability of offenders on Community Punishment Orders through the achievement of a Level 2 in literacy and numeracy – equivalent to a Grade C at GCSE –while also gaining an engineering qualification.

The museum provided engineering facilities for the weekly skills session and teachers were provided by Weymouth College.

Mike Mathews, of the Dorset Probation Service, said: “This is a punishment that is changing lives. One offender was employed for the first time in 14 years having completed his programme at the Tank Museum. Another such offender cried when presented with his Level 2 Numeracy Certificate.

“It was the first certificate he had ever earned and he had achieved something he was told he would never get.” Details: www.tankmuseum.co.uk