THE invaluable work carried out by an organisation that offers help and opportunities for both the homeless and former offenders has been highlighted at a Devon social lunch club event.

Geoff James, manager of the Amber project at Ashley Court, Chawleigh, was welcomed as the guest speaker at the latest meeting of the Central Devon Conservative's Lunch Club.

More than 30 people filled the Earl of Portsmouth Pub, in Chawleigh, for the luncheon meeting, the latest of the monthly-held events by the group.

The Amber project runs two centres, Ashley Court and Bythesea Lodge, which provide a temporary home to young people who want to work towards achieving a better future.

Amber provides 24-hour care and support, centred round a carefully structured programme. It offers a number of accredited training courses, including adult literacy and numeracy.

There are also opportunities to develop broader, transferable skills through its Personal Development and Team Work and Leadership courses that involve personal fitness and a wide range of outdoor activities.

At the event, Geoff James spoke about the importance of giving people new opportunities, to help not only build their confidence but also to give them new direction.

The Lunch Club was also addressed by Mel Stride, the Conservative prospective Parliamentary candidate for Central Devon, who thanked Geoff James for attending.

Mel said: "Amber do a fantastic job and are a great example of what the charitable sector can do to help address some of our greatest social challenges."

The Lunch Club was launched in September 2008 by Ann Widdecombe MP. Since then, guest speakers have included recently elected Conservative MEP, Julie Girling, author Michael Dobbs and Gary Streeter, Conservative MP for South Devon.