For a number of years Crabble Corn Mill has played an important part in providing assistance to the Kent Probation Service by providing a work environment for offenders given community service orders. This has greatly benefitted the Mill by providing a workforce which has enabled a great deal of work to be done in and around the Mill and also around the village of River. Much of this work also benefitted the environment and this was recognised in 2009 with the award by the Butler Trust (patron HRH The Princess Royal) to the Channel Ports Community Payback Team of their Environmental Award.

This picture shows Pam Matlock (Kent Probation Service) and Allan Dive (Community Payback Team Supervisor) receiving the award from HRH Princess Anne at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in March 2009.

The diversity of people passing through the scheme has been totally amazing with practitioners of the building trades being especially useful. It has also been quite a surprise to find a couple of ex-offenders returning as volunteers to carry on the work they started while doing their community service.