Yada

Who we are

Yada, meaning ‘to be known’, works to prevent sexual exploitation across coastal West Sussex, through outreach, partnership work and training. 

Yada was formed in 2015, in response to reports of violence against women in the sex industry and the lack of support services available. We became a registered charity in January 2018. Yada’s vision is to see a world with no place for sexual exploitation, where women can live life free from abuse, stigma and violence. We exist to support women who are often hidden and marginalised.

We provide outreach support services, through The Esther Project (TEP), to women who are, or have been, in the sex industry including independent escorts, women who are, or have been, engaging in survival sex (selling/exchanging sex in order to meet basic needs) and victims-survivors of sex trafficking. 

TEP aims to increase safety, reduce isolation, improve wellbeing and to tackle poverty and disadvantage. We work alongside women to help empower them to make positive and sustainable changes in their lives. Our outreach work adopts a harm reduction/prevention model, and we use a trauma-informed approach to support women who have experienced sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

We work in partnership with other local services, delivering workshops in women-only spaces, and provide training to frontline professionals supporting women facing mutiple and complex disadvantages.   

Our culture and values

Yada is a value-driven charity which seeks to positively impact the lives of the individuals we support. Our ​work​ ​is​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​following​ ​values:

Compassion

To​ ​work​ ​with​ unconditional positive regard, ​empathy, ​treating​ ​each​ ​person​ ​as​ ​an​ ​individual,​ ​never​ ​judging​ ​or pursuing​ ​our​ ​own​ ​agenda.

Courage

To​ ​be​ ​bold​ ​with​ ​our​ ​work,​ ​to​ ​actively​ ​promote​ ​social​ ​justice​ ​for​ ​all,​ ​oppose​ ​all​ ​discriminatory practice​ ​and​ ​challenge​ ​myths​ ​and​ ​stereotypes​ ​that​ ​surround​ ​sexual​ ​exploitation.

Congruence

To​ ​work​ ​from​ ​a​ ​place​ ​of​ ​honesty​ ​and​ ​openness,​ ​to​ ​be​ ​accountable​ ​and​ ​promote self-care.

Commitment

To​ ​develop and nurture engagement with service users, staff and volunteers. To invest in building trusted relationships. 

Connection

To​ ​recognise​ ​the​ ​value​ ​in​ ​collaboration,​ ​sharing​ ​ideas​ ​and best practice, and​ ​actively seek to work in partnership ​with​ ​other​ ​agencies​ ​and​ ​organisations.

Yada​ ​has​ ​a​ ​Christian​ ​ethos,​ ​which​ ​inspires​ ​us​ ​to​ ​treat​ ​everyone​ ​that​ ​we​ ​work​ ​with​ ​(including​ ​all staff,​ ​volunteers​ ​and​ ​service​ ​users)​ ​​ ​with​ ​dignity,​ ​respect​ ​and​ ​acceptance.​ ​

We​ ​work​ ​with​ ​any woman​ or young person ​regardless​ ​of​ ​​race,​ ​age,​ ​gender,​ ​sexual​ ​orientation,​ ​background,​ ​ability,​ ​culture​ ​or​ ​religious beliefs.

We celebrate and encourage each other for ‘wins’, both the big and the small.

We listen to and support each other in the challenges.

We aim to be confident, caring, sensitive and generous in our communications and contact with other services and clients, treating each person as an individual with their own story.

We aim to stay adaptable, and to always be learning, growing and developing.

We aim to be open-minded, willing to be challenged and non-judgmental.