ReachOut Blog: ReachOut! Charity Cup 2012

Oliver Wyman (yellow) v Macquarie (orange)

Friday 13th April 2012. It’s early evening. The Petchey Academy is a hive of activity, with Year 9 ReachOut! mentees buzzing around the building, making signs, moving tables, pumping up footballs, taping goal nets and practising speeches. There’s a mild atmosphere of panic as adults start to arrive, mixed with an air of anticipation and excitement.

Tournament Director Tionne lays down the rules with the help of fellow football organisers Chima and Bhavin

It’s time for the fourth annual ReachOut! Charity Cup, run by the ReachOut! Academy kids to raise money for their trip to Spain. Current holders Bloomberg are favourites, but Oliver Wyman, runners up in 2010, are rumoured to have a strong team, as are UBS, making their debut in the competition. Also debuting is the Salt Yard Restaurant team, wildcards with no prior competition history, but whose company have donated a fabulous prize for the winners - dinner for five at the Opera Tavern restaurant. Completing this year’s line up are PwC and Macquarie – seasoned competitors looking to improve on previous years’ performances.

Bloomberg (red) v UBS (green and white)

The kids have worked all week on the event during their school holiday, planning the format, arranging fixtures, trying to secure donations of refreshments from local shops (hence the slightly random selection of croissants) and ordering trophies and medals. Boys greet the players as they arrive, showing them to changing rooms and toilets before passing them on to their colleagues in hospitality and then the football organisers. This year teams short on players can recruit extra bodies in the form of 17 year old ReachOut! Academy graduates who’ve not only attended ReachOut!’s projects for several years, but organised this very event four years ago when they were 13/14. PwC, Macquarie and Salt Yard make quick signings to bolster their line up. Running slightly late, but very much to plan, Tournament Director Tionne Tulloch-May kicks off the event and the football commences.

UBS v PwC

The football is frenetic, skilful, fast and occasionally farcical, but the next three hours whittles the competition down to a final two – reigning champions Bloomberg face PwC in their first final appearance. Superior fitness and a more cultured approach seems to make the difference as Bloomberg’s flowing football sees them run out comfortable winners, with two aged competitors scoring for the first time in years. Afterwards they are ecstatic, celebrating wildly when presented their winners medals and trophy by the boys. It’s 20:30, and the boys are hungry and tired, but they’ve done a great job, and raised £3000 as well. It’s been a fantastic event, a fitting way to fund their Barcelona trip as well as a great learning experience.