Support for local youth coming to Hastings and the surrounding areas

The Education Futures Trust has some exciting news to share – the charity has been awarded a grant of £48,642 from the Youth Endowment Fund to support young people at risk of being drawn into violent crime through the COVID-19 pandemic, writes HOT’S Vanessa Alves.

Education Futures Trust will use the funding to deliver a much-needed youth programme to children and young people at risk in the local area.

Education Futures Trust

Education Futures Trust is a charitable organisation which seeks to advance education for the public benefit in Hastings and the surrounding area. Working with schools and families, it aims to support the establishment, development and delivery of programmes, initiatives and projects that will advance education and enable the participants to derive maximum benefit.

This relationship-based programme will offer children and young people the chance to participate in activities they have expressed interest in. This will take place in community venues across the town. Some of the activities will be evening quizzes, table tennis, swingball, volleyball, rounders, circuit training and boxing.

Each week, Education Futures Trust will deliver a half-day course, two after-school courses and two online quizzes and competitions.  The courses will last 10-12 weeks and will be repeated three times. Eligible young people will have access to one of the courses, as well as online sessions each week.

CEO Carole Dixon said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer these activities to young people. Young people have told us that they feel isolated and worried, so these activities have been designed to provide a safe place where participants can enjoy challenge, discuss their concerns and learn new skills.”

The Youth Endowment Fund

The Youth Endowment Fund is an independent charitable trust set up by the Home Office. It funds, supports and evaluates projects in England and Wales which work to prevent children and young people from being drawn into violent crime.

Education Futures Trust is one of 130 organisations to share a £6.5m grant pot from the Youth Endowment Fund to help at-risk young people impacted by COVID-19.  It is run by Impetus, a charity focused on transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people, in partnership with the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) and Social Investment Business.

The partnership combines Impetus’ expertise of building high-impact charities and programmes, EIF’s knowledge of how to intervene early to improve outcomes for children, and Social Investment Business’ experience of managing and evaluating large-scale grant programmes, to create a bold new model to tackle youth offending.

Jon Yates, executive director at Youth Endowment Fund, said: “It has been too easy to forget vulnerable young people during this crisis. The pandemic has removed much of the critical support that many of them rely upon – from teachers to youth workers. This funding will help us find the best way to reach and support these young people when they most need it.”

For more information on Education Future Trust click here.

For more information on the Youth Endowment Fund click here.

Also in: Young People