PEMBROKESHIRE FRAME celebrated 20 years of offering people support and pioneering recycling work with a very special anniversary event.

Supporters, friends, workers and participants were all invited to the party, which was held at FRAME’s Headquarters on the Old Hakin Road.

Led by Chief Executive Officer and founder Jenny Sims, FRAME promotes and provides education, training and employment opportunities to people with, or recovering from, mental ill health and/or a learning disability.

The organisation gives severely disadvantaged people opportunities to test their ability, undertake meaningful work, develop new skills and change the direction of their lives.

The event’s guest speaker was multi-millionaire businesswoman and philanthropist Dame Stephanie “Steve” Shirley, who travelled from the South East to give a truly inspirational speech. Dame Stephanie made her money in the field of Information Technology (IT), and has devoted her retirement to “giving something back” to society. She has originated and supported projects in the fields of autism – her late son, Giles, was autistic - and IT, but now her focus is purely on Autism. She facilitates scientific research into the causes of the disorder via The Shirley Foundation.

In her speech, Jenny recalled how FRAME had started in a “little bungalow” in 1994.

“This organisation began as a happy accident. Recycling wasn’t the “in thing” and it was a group of people attending a day centre who wanted something more out of life than just sitting there. We were given two wardrobes and it started from there. It was a group idea, not my idea,” said the modest founder.

“I am proud to say that FRAME now has 44 paid staff, 200-odd people a year who turn to us for support, either for something nice to do, or to move on to paid work. Of our paid staff, 65% came to us as a participant and now work alongside everyone else. FRAME is run by the people, for the people, and it’s great fun – most of the time!

“There are a lot of people in this room who have given FRAME a lot of support over the years, and I would like to thank them all.”