Humans of New York is a concept many may be familiar with. It is the brainchild of Brandon Stanton and acts as an informal catalogue of characters living in the city of dreams – but now Weston-super-Mare is set to be put under the spotlight.

The Humans of New York project has more than eight million followers from around the world on social media and a book showcasing some of its most popular stories became an international best-seller.

Now one woman from Weston has decided to put her own spin on the idea and has created Humans of Weston.

The page’s aim is to provide an insight into some of the town’s interesting characters, highlighting some of the inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people living in Weston.

The Mercury has teamed up with its creator – who wants to keep her identity a secret – and will be sharing an exclusive story each week from Humans of Weston.

Its creator, who has lived in Weston for her entire life, said: “When I started the project I had nothing to do with my time, I thought there are lots of people out there who can share their stories and can inspire people.”

So, she went out and bought her first camera and began shooting on the streets of Weston, collecting portraits of people with short quotes about their life experiences.

She said: “It is hard to get people to open up to you, but then a lot of people won’t shut up – it’s just luck.”

The Humans of Weston Facebook page now has 800 followers and its creator hopes to release a book of stories later this year.

She has teamed up with her Humans counterparts in Leeds, Las Vegas and plans to visit the Humans of Amsterdam creator later this year.

She said: “Behind the scenes there is a network of Humans sharing great stories with the world, along with tips and advice with each other.

“I think Weston is really an up and coming place and I’m really excited to be part of it.

“As Weston grows, the people grow and I am looking forward to sharing what the Humans of Weston have to say to the readers of the Mercury.”

The first anecdote from the Weston project will be in next week’s Mercury.

To find out more, search for Humans of Weston on Facebook.