"IT'S always been people changing people."

The ethos for the charity John Kirkby started at his Great Horton home within his home city of Bradford is simple as his explanatory sentence describes - but the impact CAP (Christians Against Poverty) has had so far in the 20 years since its humble beginnings is phenomenal.

Walking around the offices within the charity's head office in Jubilee mill, North Street, with vantages of the city where the 300 or so staff working here are busy delivering support to the wider community - there are branches spread across the country and beyond with a global presence in Australia, New Zealand and Canada too - bunting of colourful cut-out people drape between the pillars. They are a symbol of the people the charity has helped.

There are other quirks too - the harmonicas each member of staff sound when someone they are working with becomes debt-free, and the writing on the wall - 'Care is at our Core' - one of the many signs symbolising what is a very caring environment created by a man who speaks from experience about dealing with debt, both personally and professionally.

John, who previously worked in consumer finance, talks about the traumatic periods in his life and his own struggles with debt. In the charity's infancy he admits he was poorer than the clients he was helping.

Built on the foundations of John's Christian Faith, CAP's progression and development has led to the creation of a network helping to change and, in some circumstances, save lives.

Gradually, as the charity progressed the office moved out of John's home and into a trading unit close to the city. Further expansion prompted the move to Jubilee Mill, a property which fitted the bill in more ways than one - according to CAP's national PR manager, Marianne Clough.

"When he first looked at Jubilee Mill he was looking at it under an umbrella. It was raining right through all the floors," explains Marianne.

But the property, previously used as a box factory, had potential and epitomises CAP's ethos. Since its transformation it stands as a symbol of hope. "It has been turned round and restored in every way and that is what happens to all the people we are in contact with," says Marianne.

By the end of this significant year CAP will have helped 75,000 people. Putting into perspective the scale of what they are dealing with, the charity is handling £48m of secondary debt per month.

Marianne explains secondary debt is loans, credit and store cards. Primary debt is household bills and mortgages.

"Most people we help are on a very low income already so they are already fragile," explains Marianne.

She says an event such as Christmas, or even a broken down washing machine, can push someone who is already struggling into the red.

"They can go from bad to worse very quickly or they may be on a small hours contract and those hours disappear or their over-time gets cut, all those sort of things," says Marianne.

But help is at hand through the wide-ranging services CAP provides. As well as tackling debt, the charity also runs job clubs and offers a free money course to educate people about budgeting and saving.

Conscious of the need to tackle the root cause of the problem, the charity also runs release groups for those wanting to address habits such as smoking, gambling, over-eating or shopping.

Launched last year the Life Skills course is a pilot initiative. Marianne explains it is helping people to live well on a budget. Sessions also focus on cooking on a budget for the family and money management.

"It's real day-to-day stuff that helps you feel you are on top of things." says Marianne.

But they couldn't do it without the support of the churches giving them a platform to provide the help and support to those people in need.

Of course, to provide those services the charity relies heavily on funding from charitable trusts, along with the army of supporters who sign up to make regular donations.

Charity also begins at home, as Marianne explains. "We are used to digging quite deep, for instance, there was a staff appeal recently and the staff gave crazy amounts of money because every day we know peoples' lives are saved and changed.

"A third of the people who call us are suicidal. Every minute of every day people are ringing up and getting their life sorted out and it makes you want the charity to do well because you know the massive effect it is having on people," says Marianne.

For more information visit capuk.org