A charity which has its Head Office in Midsomer Norton celebrated five years in the High Street last week. Founder, Dr Jenny Clifford, said that there had been “lots of fun, but with blood, sweat and tears along the way”, as she puts her heart and soul into a charity that helps provide low risk ex-offenders with positive learning environments, helping people to reintegrate back into society and to turn their lives around.

P.E.O.P.L.E. was set up in 2002, with the charity shop in Radstock opening in 2005 to help fund the work of the organisation, with the shop still going strong today.

The charity offers supported housing, advice on employability, education and training, as well as other factors to assist resettling back into community life. P.E.O.P.L.E. is committed to reducing re-offending and to promote safer communities, working alongside police, probation and other agencies. It has recently supported the ‘Keep Bristol Warm’ project, helping rough sleepers, and offers free Community Outreach Advisory Support in Paulton and Peasedown St John.

There is also the opportunity for social work placements for students to take part in and on Wednesdays and Fridays, P.E.O.P.L.E. run furniture restoration workshops with groups of young people from Fosse Way School.

Journal readers can also be involved with music and film projects in Midsomer Norton, with a recording studio on site. The charity is currently seeking funding to set up a film club, where those who go along can write their own scripts and produce short films or music videos to complement the music studio. Any readers interested in this should contact Ty at the Midsomer Norton shop.

Most recently Midsomer Norton Town Council awarded £800, which will support the charity as it launches a reading group towards the end of this month. This is for everyone in the community and will be a social group promoting literacy and a love of reading. The shop has a huge array of books to get started with!

At last week’s celebration, founder, Dr Jenny Clifford, said: “I would like to thank everyone for supporting us, we have always had plenty of donations brought to the shop – it is an amazing Aladdin’s Cave with plenty to choose from. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes, and we hope that people can feel like it is an inclusive and welcoming place to go, even if they just want to come in for a chat.”