Ashton Communities Training and Advice (or ACTA) was originally set up in 2005 to give local people an independent and impartial 'one stop shop' at Cavendish Mill where they could access advice and guidance on local training and employment opportunities. Key to the project's success were two Community Champions who spent a lot of their time out in the community meeting and helping local people. This helped the project to gain respect and integrity within the community. St. Peter's Partnerships had also been running an IT project since 2002 which gave local residents access to computer-based training at two IT centres. The two projects merged under the new name St Peter's People in 2006.

Since then, St Peter's People has been constantly revising and expanding its services in line with the needs of the community. The staff team has also grown rapidly to keep pace with the number of residents calling upon our services.