Meet Our Founders

A Vision Born from Inclusion, Justice and Opportunity

PLIAS was founded on a simple but powerful belief: that every individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, deserves the opportunity to rebuild their life, realise their potential, and contribute positively to society.

Established by Norma Hoyte and Thomas Chandler, PLIAS has grown from a vision of supporting disadvantaged and marginalised communities into a respected organisation delivering specialist services across criminal justice, resettlement, community development, domestic abuse, domestic homicide, violence prevention and social inclusion.

Together, the founders combined their extensive expertise in criminal justice, public policy, local government and organisational development to create an organisation committed to reducing inequalities, strengthening communities and improving outcomes for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals.

Timeline of Evolution and Growth

Pre-2004 – Concept & Formation

PLIAS Resettlement emerged from years of discussion and community concern around crime, victimisation, and the cycle of re-offending in London communities. The idea was rooted in creating a holistic, community-based response to support both offenders and those at risk.

September 2004 – Organisation Formed

PLIAS Resettlement was initially formed as a community initiative focused on:

  • Reducing re-offending
  • Supporting reintegration into society
  • Addressing root causes of criminal behaviour

December 2005 – Formal Incorporation

  • Officially incorporated as PLIAS Resettlement Ltd
  • Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England
  • Established as a structured not-for-profit organisation

2007 – Charity Registration

  • Registered as a UK charity (No. 1119468)
  • Formalised charitable objectives including:
    • Preventing re-offending
    • Supporting resettlement of ex-offenders
    • Providing education, training, and employment pathways

2005–2015 – Foundation Years & Service Development

During its early years, PLIAS:

  • Built partnerships across Brent and West London
  • Delivered support services to:
    • Ex-offenders
    • Individuals at risk of offending
    • Victims of crime
  • Established its reputation as a community-led rehabilitation organisation

Leadership during this period included early governance figures such as:

  • David Truswell (Chair in later years)
  • Norma Hoyte (Director/Company Secretary)
  • Tom Chandler (Director)

2015–2020 – Growth & Programme Expansion

  • Expanded services to include:
    • Youth prevention programmes
    • Support for women affected by violence
    • Employment and training initiatives
  • Strengthened multi-agency partnerships across London boroughs
  • Continued focus on reducing re-offending and improving life chances

2020–Present – Innovation & Impact

  • Delivery of structured programmes such as employability and mentoring initiatives
  • Secured funding and evaluation partnerships (e.g., youth-focused programmes, and service provision for domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) initiatives and support for survivors
  • Expanded reach through partnership working on Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs).  Representation via in-house Accredited Domestic Homicide Chair (DHR) specialising on intercultural competence and context for Black and minoritised homicide victims
  • Expanded reach across multiple London boroughs including:
    • Brent
    • Barnet
    • Ealing
    • Hammersmith & Fulham
    • Harrow

Continuing the Legacy

Today, PLIAS continues to build upon the founders’ vision by delivering high-quality services that place dignity, equality, inclusion and opportunity at the heart of everything it does.

The organisation remains committed to creating safer communities, empowering individuals and influencing positive systemic change for future generations.

As PLIAS continues to evolve, it does so by building on the vision of its founders while embracing new opportunities to develop and upskill others and, by creating sustainable programmes for progression and social impact within the communities they serve.

Director (2005 -2025)

Norma Hoyte

Drawing upon more than two decades of experience in local government, Norma Hoyte recognised the barriers facing Black and minoritised communities, particularly those affected by the criminal justice system.

Throughout her career with the London Boroughs of Brent and Waltham Forest, together with Watford Borough Council, she championed equality, participation and community engagement, ensuring that Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary organisations had a meaningful voice within local and national decision-making.

Her commitment extended beyond local government through appointments to significant national bodies, including:

  • Member of the Baroness Young Review
  • Member of the David Lammy Review
  • Member of the Ministry of Justice Advisory Board on Female Offenders
  • Board Member of Clinks
  • Contributor to the Race for Justice Campaign

Norma’s academic achievements further strengthened her leadership. She graduated with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Criminology from the University of Bedfordshire and received the prestigious Tony Rhodes Award for outstanding academic performance within the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.

Her vision laid the foundations for an organisation dedicated to empowerment, rehabilitation and social justice.

Director (2005 - 2026)

Tom Chandler

Thomas Chandler – Co-Founder

Working alongside Norma from the organisation’s earliest days, Thomas Chandler played an instrumental role in transforming PLIAS from a developing initiative into a sustainable organisation.

Tom provided strategic leadership across organisational development, governance, funding and operational delivery. Working collaboratively with Norma, he co-developed many of the organisation’s governance framework, policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements while supporting sustainable organisational growth.

His wider influence extended into strategic partnership working.

As the elected voluntary and community sector representative on the Local Strategic Partnership Crime Prevention Thematic Group, Tom represented the interests of community organisations, helping shape local responses to crime prevention and community safety.

With experience spanning both the private and voluntary sectors, Tom brought expertise in:

  • Project Management
  • Business Development
  • Marketing
  • Training
  • Organisational Development

He holds a BA (Hons) in Criminology and Criminal Justice and is a member of the British Society of Criminology.

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