Free debt advice, from people who will never tell you off

A small charity in Hastings. Ring us, or we come to your kitchen table. We look at everything together, put the rent and the heating first, and deal with the letters so you do not have to open them alone.

What happens when you ring

A man in a light blue shirt reading a letter at a kitchen table, his hand on his chin.

A sunny kitchen with breakfast laid out on a wooden table and flowers by the window.

How we help

Everything on one page

Every debt, every bill and what comes in, written down once. Most people have never seen it all in one place; it is usually smaller than the fear.

The essentials first

Rent or mortgage, council tax, energy and food come before credit cards and catalogues. We make sure the order is right.

We do the talking

With your permission, your caseworker rings and writes to the people you owe. The phone calls stop coming to you.

Freealways, for everyone in the town

48 hoursfrom your first call to a caseworker

0judgement, ever

Three ways in

A man reading a document at a kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a bowl of fruit.

On the phone

Twenty minutes to start. You do not need any paperwork for the first call.

Weekdays 9–7, Saturday 10–1

A young woman in a checked shirt reading a letter at a kitchen table.

At your table

A caseworker comes to you, with a folder and a calculator, for about an hour and a half.

Booked within the week

A smiling woman holding a folder to her chest at a kitchen table with tea and fruit.

Drop in

Tuesday mornings at the community centre on Bohemia Road. No appointment.

Tuesdays 9:30–12:30

A cluttered kitchen table by a window with a stained-glass lamp hanging above it.

A breakfast table with a loaf of bread, teacups and jam on a flowered tablecloth.

What people told us afterwards

"I had a drawer I didn't open. She opened it with me, and it took forty minutes."

Caller, three debts, February

"The phone stopped ringing on the Wednesday. I'd forgotten what quiet was like."

Caller, energy arrears, October

A woman sitting on a window sill at sunset, reading.

Before you ring

Nothing, really

For the first call you only need yourself. If you have letters nearby, keep them close, opened or not.

The priority bills

If you are behind on rent, council tax or energy, tell us first. Those are the ones that can cost you your home or your heating.

A rough week

What comes in, what goes out. A guess is fine; we will work out the real figures together.

Stop today: paying whoever shouts loudest. Paying a credit card while the rent falls behind is the most common mistake we see, and the most fixable.

Talk to someone

Ring and say "I need some help with money." That is enough. We will take it from there.

0142 496 0261

A couple at their kitchen table celebrating, the man punching the air while the woman reads a letter.

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. We are funded by grants and local donations. We never take a fee or a percentage.

Will it affect my credit rating?

Talking to us does not. Some solutions can; we always say which before you decide.

Will anyone find out?

No. We do not contact your employer, your family or your landlord without your say-so.

What if I have already had a court letter?

Ring today. There is almost always more time than the letter suggests, but not unlimited time.

A smiling woman with glasses and long curly hair sitting by a window.