About XTND
We've been part of the community since 2011.
Improving Futures started with a simple idea: be where families are. Fifteen years on, we’re still here. Still at the gate. Still part of the routine.
100+
Since 2011
2 Schools
4 Staff
Our Story
It started in 2011
XTND began in 2011, working from the two primary schools on the Bournville estate in Weston-super-Mare. Our vision has always been to improve futures for local families. We first focused on school wrap-around care, and over time our work has grown to include a wide range of family activities and groups both across the local area and within the two schools.
Being based at the schools makes a real difference. Parents can drop in easily, get to know us at their own pace, and feel comfortable coming along to something new. What often starts as a quick hello at the school gates can turn into joining a cooking session, trying a craft activity, or coming along because a friend mentioned a group they enjoyed.
Gradually, these simple moments build into steady friendships, many of which continue completely independently of us. Those lasting connections are the part of our work we value most.
We are a registered charity (no. 1141966), but that’s not usually how families describe us. They know us through the faces they see in school, the groups they look forward to each week, and the sense that XTND is simply part of everyday life in their community.
Those lasting connections are the part of our work we value most.
Our Approach
We're where families are.
You won’t just find us in offices or meeting rooms — you’ll see us where families naturally spend their time. In the local parks. At the shops. At community events. On the walk to school. We’re present in the places where conversations happen easily and where people feel comfortable.
Because we’re visible and approachable in the community, support often begins long before anyone thinks of it as “seeking help.” A quick chat while the kids play, a familiar face outside the shops, or a neighbour mentioning a group they enjoyed — these everyday encounters are usually the starting point.
Families who might never go through the door of a formal service are happy to join a cooking group, drop into a craft session, or come along because someone they trust invited them. The support grows naturally from there.
Much of what we do is gentle and sometimes goes unnoticed at first — people come because they enjoy the group, and only later realise how much confidence, connection, or routine they’ve gained along the way. That’s exactly how we want it to work.
We run groups. We run classes. We bring people together. And when someone needs more than we can offer, we’ll help them find the right support quickly, using the strong links we have across the area.
Where We Work
This is home.
Bournville is a small community on the edge of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset. It’s a close community where people know one another, and where there is a strong sense of belonging.
Although national data places the area within the top 1% most deprived neighbourhoods in England, those numbers never reflect the everyday strengths, resilience, and community spirit that exist here.
XTND is one part of a wider network of charities, groups, and residents who contribute to the wellbeing of local families. We work here because this community matters, and because meaningful support is most effective when it’s rooted in the places people live, spend time, and feel comfortable.
Our Partners
We don't do this alone.
Good things happen when organisations work together properly. Not just logos on a report; actual collaboration, actual relationships. Here’s who we work alongside.
Community Partners
Our Funders
We’re grateful to the organisations that fund our work:
Come and meet us.
We’re real people, not a website. Want to know more about who we are and what we do?