OUR CHARITIES
AT D & S HASTINGS GIVING BACK IS IMPORTANT TO US AND SUPPORTING PEOPLE AND CLUBS THAT NEED IT THE MOST IS CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS!
EXTRAX
YOUNG PEOPLES CENTRE
Our Mission and Ethos.
Xtrax is an independent, registered charity working for young people aged 16-24 in Hastings & Rother. Regardless of gender, belief, sexuality or personal history, we provide a safe space where they can get help and support from non-judgemental staff and volunteers, no matter what issues are affecting them.
Xtrax provides a truly holistic approach to helping young people overcome problems, address immediate issues affecting them and build stable, successful lives for the future. From our easy to access location in Hastings Town Centre young people will find a friendly welcome, eat a nutritious, home-cooked meal, take a shower, do their laundry, access free internet and telephones or just relax in a warm, friendly environment with their peers.
At all times, Xtrax's trained staff and volunteers are on hand to then help young people rebuild their lives, whether it be finding the right accommodation, looking for work, enrolling in education, or getting advice on a whole range of issues from parenting, benefits, health or the law.
For many young people the world can seem a daunting place: at Xtrax we work to rebuild trust, inspire engagement, and help create the world young people want to live in.
Our History
Xtrax was founded over 20 years ago following the tragic death of a young man who took his own life after seeking support for his mental health and housing issues. While some support had been there during office hours, after 5pm most of that support simply closed up shop. Alone and desperate, he saw no other option but to end his life.
In direct response to this tragic young man's suicide, Xtrax was created, determined there would be a Drop-In service open whenever young people actually needed it. No appointments necessary - just a friendly face at times it was needed, and with expert staff on hand with time to listen.
Since then, Xtrax has helped over 10,000 young people overcome the issues facing them. We produce over 7,500 home cooked meals a year, run a whole series of projects to help rebuild lives, and have become a cornerstone in youth provision for Hastings and the surrounding areas.
Our Future
Unfortunately, Xtrax and the unique service it provides is needed now, more than ever.
Services for young people have been cut, agencies funded by Government or other charities have closed, leaving Xtrax to support ever more complex housing issues, addressing the issues of child poverty and a multi-generational lack of confidence and trust in Statutory agencies and education.
As a result, Xtrax is more determined than ever to strengthen its offer to young people. To do this we are working to develop new projects, grow the range of support we offer via our Drop-In Centre, and strengthen our abilty to finance services in the face of more cuts to local funding. The Xtrax staff, volunteers and Trustees are determined to ensure that Xtrax is there to support the need of young people for another 20 years.
Our Partners and Funders
Over the past 20 years, Xtrax has become an essential part of youth services in Hastings and Rother - yet we receive no funding from any statutory agency. As an independent, registered Charity, funding for our work comes from a patchwork of Core and Project grants provided by a diverse range of both large and small Funds, Trusts and Foundations.
On the plus side, this rich mix has enabled Xtrax to be flexible, resilient and - importantly - relevant to the young people it supports. However, it also presents an annual challenge to meet the costs of keeping our Centre open, our projects on track, and our staff trained and volunteers engaged.
Our work has been recognised for support by some of the UK's most trusted organisations, including the Big Lottery Fund, the Lloyds Bank Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation. But we are always looking for exciting, new partners, grants for our core work and donors to support our cause.
Please contact us if you would like to join our amazing team of funders to ensure a strong future for Xtrax and our young people.
Big Thank You, to our current funding partners.....
PLEASE VISIT THE EXTRAX WEBSITE TO SUPPORT THEM..
