About Us

It starts by grounding ourselves within deprived communities, listening first hand to the challenges these people face, and recognising potential where others see hopelessness.

It demands compassion, patience and determination, to arm an individual with the skills to move forward positively with their lives.

It requires resilience and hope to see all people regardless of backgrounds empowered to become the best version of themselves, to break down pre conceived conceptions.

Restart Trust: it’s a chance to RESTART , breaking down complex barriers to successful living and sustaining independence.

“Grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference”

Restart Trust is situated at the heart of our local communities, working with people from areas of deprivation we break down barriers and empower people to be the best version of themselves.
Creating life changing training and employment opportunities for those who really need them.
Working within areas of high deprivation, engaging with some of the communities hardest to reach groups; people who are recovering from alcohol dependency, drug addiction, ex offenders, people suffering from poor mental and or physical health, those with no or low skill sets and with most beneficiaries they face multiple and complex barriers to living as happy, independent, contributing members of our society.
Empowering it’s beneficiaries with numerous tools, such as coaching, education, skills, employment, training and housing, Restart Trust has real significant impact on the lives of its beneficiaries and on those of their families.

FOUNDERS

Established in 2012 by Jennifer Kelly & Ben Donnelly. Through their own life experiences and knowing what it was like facing barriers to finding employment. A chance meeting between these two people sparked an idea of setting up a charity that would benefit people like themselves, a charity that would change lives, communities and the environment.

Today both founders are very much involved with the running of Restart Trust and over the years the reach and impact the charity has experienced, fills them with joy.

BEN DONNELLY

Ben Donnelly was born into a life of deprivation, in 2015 at the age of 28 – after his own struggles with addiction, Ben quit his job as a Regional Manager for a local recruitment company to focus on building a company that could change lives.

Today Ben is an award winning business leader with multiple successful businesses, having a passion for environmental and social impact. Ben is a member of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management and is on the board of trustees for Cocaine Anonymous, an international support network organisation.

All of Ben’s businesses are centered around using business as a force for good both locally and for the wider planet.

He is a frequent motivation speaker, features in podcasts and mentors in schools.

JENNIFER KELLY

Jennifer had a successful career in the banking industry, where she held senior management positions – her future looked bright, yet she found herself pray to addictions. After losing countless jobs and finally hitting rock bottom she found recovery, and has been sober for 15 years. Early on in her recovery Jennifer knew that she wanted to help people like herself, those needed a second (or even third) chance. After a chance meeting with Ben the idea of Restart Trust was born.

Having been a founding member of the UK’s fastest growing Social Enterprise and winning multiple awards and recognition for her contributions to the environment and local community. Jennifer has been an inspiration to women.

A powerful woman in business and the community; as well as running an award winning charity and being a mum to two young children, Jennifer has held senior voluntary roles within national recovery organisations and has helped hundreds of women to recover from life threatening addiction issues.