Prisoners at HMP Shepton Mallet have been putting their talents to good use – to raise money for victims of crime.

A new charity initiative – entitled Time Well Spent – was officially launched at the prison on Friday, with Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, MP Tessa Munt, Mulberry founder Roger Saul, Rt Rev Peter Maurice, Bishop of Taunton, and Helen Willis-Fleming from Victim Support among the invited guests, entertained by music and singing by staff and inmates. The new fundraising scheme devised by the prison in association with its partners, the charity Victim Support and the prison's educational provider A4e, aims to get the prisoners' arts and craft work out into the community and sold to the public.

All the proceeds go to Victim Support. The scheme is founded upon the idea of reparation, giving prisoners the opportunity to "give back" and make amends for past crimes. The prisoners themselves do not receive payment for donated items.

HMP Shepton Mallet houses life-sentenced prisoners, many of whom enjoy creative work and often enter prisoner-based art competitions, with much success.

The scheme hopes to harness this creative energy for a good cause.

Governor Andy Rogers told the prisoners involved that he knew they were creative and talented, and – with time on their hands – they were putting that time, skill, and real talent to good use to give something back to society. They were, he told them all, "Doing something right, something good – and you should be very proud of yourselves".

Anyone interested in finding out more about or supporting Time Well Spent should contact Penny Lonsdale, head of regimes at HMP Shepton Mallet.