'The Only Way is UP for the boys of Brook!'

The final day of the ReachOut Club at Brook Community Primary School ended tumultuously, with reflections from both mentors and mentees and of course some dodgeball! It seems like yesterday that I was a ReachOut Club mentor at De Beauvoir Primary School, about to embark on my journey as a Project Leader. One year on, I have completed my ReachOut Club project at Brook and it has been one of my most satisfying and intriguing challenges.

At my first session as Project Leader I was very nervous. Nervous because I did not know how the mentees would behave and I had doubts about my own ability. The kids were over-excited (something you should always expect on a Friday afternoon at Brook) and diverse. However, over the coming weeks, relationships flourished during one-to-one mentoring which allowed mentors to be role models and confidants to their mentees.

I must admit it was weird to be on the other side of the fence, watching the volunteers have their own mentee and being able to see them develop. Watching the progress of all the mentees (and the mentors, although they may deny it) gave a sense of satisfaction and I planned ahead to be able to help each and every individual to be the best that they could be. This may sound clichéd but pushing every child to reach their potential is something that is indicative of what ReachOut is about. Evidence of this came from their work folders, which showed how insightful and creative some of the mentees were with their English work and how astonishing their maths skills were for ten year olds.

Academic work aside, enthusiasm for sport exuded from each and every mentee. Their love of football made games fiercely competitive, which lead to some lively but also thoughtful discussions about good sportsmanship.

Dealing with altercations was one of the hardest parts of being a Project Leader; reasoning with youngsters is a hard job! By using the 'reflect, repair, reconnect' technique, this was made much easier and allowed the youngsters to reflect on their own actions, and then how to control and rectify their behaviour it if it happened again.

As for the volunteer mentors, it goes without saying that without them we would not have a project. I would like to say again what a great job the mentors at Brook did, which made my life so much easier when managing the project. To be honest, managing a group of volunteers, some of whom were older than you, was hard. I was worried that I would be undermined but there was no such problem. Communication was key; I had to underline some expectations of the volunteers to make my life easier and not let the mentees down. This was paramount. The face of a child when you inform them that their mentor is absent is something you do not want to see as it makes them feel unwanted. I was able to rely on some of the more confident mentors to carry out activities whilst I was dealing with other issues which gave me comfort that some people could be stepping into this role the coming academic year! 

It has been an overwhelming experience with highs that definitely outweigh the lows. Personally, it has made me a more confident, well-rounded and understanding individual, whilst furthering my ability when dealing with mentees and volunteers. I use the word mentees frequently; this is because I do not want to call them children or kids as they have grown and progressed into the young people that will be heading into year seven the coming academic year. For the young people here, I am sure they will stick to what they have learnt and carry it into later life.

Belief is a funny thing. I sometimes don't believe my impact has been as great as others have made out, just like I don't believe volunteers see the true impact that they make on the mentees. One thing is for sure though – projects like these are a worthwhile cause.

Jeremy Tang

Four Champs take on the London Marathon for ReachOut

Four friends of ReachOut took on the London Marathon aiming to raise £6,500 to support our mentoring projects.

"I wanted to run for Reachout as I know first hand what a difference they make to the young people they work with." said former mentor and charity supporter Will Rhodes. "Teenagers in particular have got a reputation which often isn't fair and ReachOut are excellent at using their skills to show people what a positive impact they can make in their areas."

Will's extensive training regime has known no bounds

Will mentored with the charity as a student and has kept in touch as he has moved into the workplace. "I've got so much out of it ... 1 twisted knee, 2 knackered trainers and a mild dose of hypothermia! But great to do it for such a good cause." Will, who has also organised workshop volunteering with his company, has been in training for months for the marathon.

Another of our runners Terry has also known the charity for years. "I spoke to the guys at ReachOut and decided to raise a bit for their London project and help out with the ReachOut Academy boys annual trip to Spain. These boys work hard throughout the project and deserve this great experience."

Terry with his well deserved medal!

Jamie has decided to run for us after mentoring for a year and a half. He got involved with ReachOut through our partnership with his employer Macquarie. 

Runner Jamie with the mentees at the ReachOut Academy

"I really wanted to run the London Marathon for ReachOut because I see the difference it makes to the lives of young people on a weekly basis" he said. "Raising funds for ReachOut felt like a natural extension to mentoring with the aim of extending the great work it does. The young people learn so much from the projects but the way it instils aspirations in them is priceless. I feel like the partnership Macquarie has with ReachOut gives me opportunities to do something completely different to everything else I do in a week and meet people I wouldn't usually."

Finally, we first heard Matt was running the marathon for ReachOut on twitter - what a nice surprise! Here he is (below) icing cakes with a couple of mentees. "I was really happy to be able to raise some money for ReachOut having seen first-hand the positive impact it was having on kids when I volunteered during my Master's. Overall the race was a great experience, but I might stick to half-marathons for the time being..."

Matt with his mentee at the ReachOut Club

Well done, congratulations, and thank you to all our runners. You've done a brilliant job and we couldn't be more proud of you! To support our runners, give online by clicking on their names. If you have been inspired to run for ReachOut, why not join us for London's The British 10k or Great Manchester Run?

ReachOut! Starts Exciting Charity of the Year Partnership with ACCA

ReachOut! has been chosen as the charity of the year for The ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Over the next 12 months, ACCA employees will hold fundraising events and volunteer on workshops and projects, including RO! Academy, RO! Junior Mentors and RO! Summer Programme. ACCA is the global body for professional accountants, offering qualifications to ambitious people seeking a career in accounting, finance and management.

Hannah tells an ACCA employee about the upcoming 10k

Today, ReachOut! headed across London for a launch party to begin this exciting new partnership. Over tea and cakes, ACCA employees found out how they could get involved in ReachOut! and shared ideas for great fundraising and volunteering opportunities over the next year. Hannah thanked ACCA for nominating ReachOut! as charity of the year, "This is an excellent opportunity for us to team up with such a well-known organisation. The team have been impressively proactive - there are already some great fundraising events lined up." 

There was a lot of enthusiasm about the partnership, with people expressing interest in contributing in all sorts of ways, from running the British 10k to mentoring at the academy. In fact, the ACCA Give Something Back Committee were already raising money by selling cupcakes at the party.

Cupcakes made by the Give Something Back Team

The partnership is a fantastic opportunity for ReachOut! to pair up with an enthusiastic and dynamic team.  Hopefully, the next year will see ACCA employees raising money, increasing awareness of ReachOut! and getting stuck into some memorable volunteering experiences. Thank you so much to the Give Something Back Committee for holding such a brilliant event - we look forward to working with you!

Georgie Whiteley

ReachOut Charity Cup 2013

Boys from the ReachOut Academy in Hackney have raised amazing £4000 towards their trip of a lifetime to Barcelona. The boys will head to Spain for five days of football, cultural learning and fun. This is one of several fundraising efforts to subsidise their trip - in total, they will raise nearly £5,000. 

Three time Champions Bloomberg with tournament organisers, the boys from the ReachOut Academy.

The boys, aged 13-14, spent a day and a half planning the tournament, gaining skills by booking referees, buying trophies and equipment, persuading Tesco and Sainsbury’s to donate refreshments, and finalising tournament rules. On the day, they gained experience by meeting and greeting teams, keeping track of scores and conducting an official presentation ceremony.

“It was a really good day and we organised it!" said said Anil Aslan, 14. "In the end the sun was out. It was exciting to watch the football - we’re all going home happy. I've learnt how to organise. We’ve lead the teams. We achieved a lot and did our best. In the end, it was a great day for all of us.”

Charles Opoku, 14, takes his role as Score Keeper very seriously.

Eight teams took part and battled it out in the group stages. ReachOut FC showed an amazing display of staying powerwhen they came back from 4-0 down to draw with UBS 5-5. Teams from Macquarie, Bloomberg and Oliver Wyman made it through to the semi-finals. 

Adam Bonehill, from Bloomberg, said “I just wanted to say a big thanks to ReachOut and the kids for putting together another fantastic tournament.  We all agree it’s one of the sporting highlights of year and I'm sure Sky will be televising it soon. Great to see all of the kids so heavily involved in the organisation/running of the event and creating a cracking atmosphere.  The kids’ speeches and presentations capped off a great evening.”

Macquarie vs. Aspect Capital

The final was close and well fought. A couple of unlucky misses for Macquarie - one hitting the post, another the bar - allowed Bloomberg to pull ahead winning 3-2.

The event was a great success. Players commented that the tournament was really well run and the boys had behaved very professionally throughout.

ReachOut Academy young person David Koko, aged 13, said “It was a great day. We got along and achieved a lot. I've directed people, helped others, and felt like an adult for the first time. I feel really proud. It went well, we've had a great experience.”

Thank you to all who entered a team (Bloomberg, Macquarie, Oliver Wyman, Aspect Capital, Wolfpack, UBS and Sunrise Brokers) and Salt Yard Group who donated our prizes.

Oliver Wyman vs. Wolfpack

Kye Mitchell, 14, delivers the welcome speech and lays down the rules.

Runners up Macquarie celebrate with their medals ... and spurious 'number one' gestures!

The boys from ReachOut will be fundraising around Hackney until the middle of May.  If you would like to support them please get in touch by emailing peter.blackwell@reachoutuk.org

Thank you to The Co-operative Community Fund

A big thank you to the members, staff and shoppers of the Co-operative for supporting ReachOut! last year. Their £2,000 donation from the Co-operative Community Fund helped us to deliver the ReachOut! Summer Programme in Hackney to over 100 children and showed just how much they care about the community.

We caught up with the Co-operative with the opening of their new look Homerton store with their national Charity of the Year partners, Carer's Trust. 

ReachOut! meets some of the Co-operative members that voted for the Summer Programme to be funded

Hannah Christie

The Manchester Outward Bound Trip 2013

ReachOut has a strong emphasis on developing young people, whether it be academic or character based. A young person’s on-going development often consists of very subtle sometimes undetectable steps, but sometimes a young person will make clearly visible mammoth steps towards reaching a goal. ReachOut’s annual Junior Mentor outward bound trip is an opportunity for our young people to push themselves out of their comfort zones and to make those clear and ostensive strides towards overcoming fears, reaching physical and mental goals, and fulfilling ambitions.

As someone who works with the young people day-to-day, it was incredibly gratifying to see them tackle such big challenges. Each and every one of them can be proud of the way they pushed themselves in the activities and their achievement in completing the weekend. This blog post will (hopefully) give you a taste of just how tough some of the weekend was and just how much strength, willpower and general pluckiness they demonstrated to overcome the challenges that were thrown down.

It was Friday morning and outside small snowflakes were fluttering in icy cold wisps. It was already cold and we were in a heated van barely out of greater Manchester. The traffic news was blowing up with reports of closed roads and weather warnings. Aberdovey seemed a long way off.

In Snowdonia the Welsh Mountains were snow-capped brutes. The ground was covered in a 2 foot pillow of white. The thought of sleeping out in the wilderness that night had started to sink in. This was likely to be a bigger challenge than we were anticipating.

Happily, when we got to the Outward Bound centre in Aberdovey the weather was slightly more docile. The snow had not settled and had ceased to come down, but the wind was still bitterly cold. We unloaded our bags and met our instructors Will and Mick. We had time to grab some food from the cafeteria and then it was off to climb a mountain to stay the night in a log cabin.

Wearing several layers of thick clothing and each straddled by a large hiking bag laden with essentials, we traipsed up the mountain under the patter of rain. Half way up the rain had turned to sleet. Yet further and the sleet had turned into a snow that the wind picked up and whipped into our faces. Up we went, the snow falling heavier the higher we climbed, our head torches lighting the way.

After nearly two hours of hiking, a dim silhouette rose out of the black. It was our home for the night. The instructors set the wood stove burning while the boys unpacked their sleeping bags and ground mats. We supped on hot chocolate and tea and settled in for the night. Needless to say it was a bit chilly!

The next morning we walked back down basking in the achievement of conquering the Welsh countryside on the coldest night of the year (not before making a snowman). Bear Grylls watch your back!

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This is just a taste of the activities that the weekend was filled with. The mentee’s climbed walls, negotiated pitch black abandoned mines, and tackled all manner of team based activities. Here is what one of our mentee's Jack had to say about one of the team building exercises:

‘Mick and Will took us to do a team based climbing exercise after lunch. The activity tested our communication and team work skills, because all 11 of us had to help each other get over a 10 foot high wall. We all did it and succeeded but on our first attempt we had a fairly average time of 4 minutes. We all talked about how we could improve it. After the talk we did it again and absolutely smashed 4 minutes, clocking a time of 2 minutes 14 seconds.’

One of our other mentee’s had this to say about what she learned about herself on the weekend:

‘What did I learn about myself? That I’m good at rock climbing, encouraging people, giving instructions and listening to others.’

We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Luke Shelbourn, Project Manager
Manchester

The morning descent.

Halfway there!

Woops!

ReachOut