ReachOut does the Santa Run!

‘Twas three weeks before Christmas, of that there’s no doubt,

9 mentors came together, to run for ReachOut

Running shoes on, red hat covering hair,

With thousands more Santa’s, good times we did share.

My mother told me that Santa didn’t exist. But on Sunday, December 4^th, 2016…she was proved wrong. On that brisk Sunday morning, thousands of people descended upon Victoria Park for London’s biggest Santa Run. Among those thousands of people, were nine courageous ReachOut mentors braving the cold to raise as much money as possible. 

Our 9 Santa’s left their reindeer behind and met at 10:00am at Victoria Park. After bonding over shared mentoring experiences and Santa outfits, there was a big stage warm up to get all the Santa’s limbered up ready to run either 5k or 10k. The warm up was absolutely brilliant, with a fitness instructor on stage guiding proceedings, while thousands of Santa’s imitated her moves. It was actually quite terrifying seeing thousands of Santa’s move in unison while shouting “Woop, Woop!”.

After the warm-up, the few thousand Santa’s lined up ready to start the run. If the warm up was terrifying, this was on another level. With the sound of the horn, Victoria Park became a sea of red and white Santa Clauses.

6 of our runners took part in the 5km run, while 3 took part in the 10km and all of them completed the run in great time! Especially considering they were all wearing Santa outfits! After the run, a few of the 5km runners were able to grab hot drinks and have a chat before heading off to enjoy the rest of their Sunday afternoons.

Not only do our mentors do extremely important work each week with their mentees, they also love to get involved in fundraising opportunities. Our 9 Santa’s managed to raise a fantastic £1,000! It was such a fun day, and a great experience for everyone involved and we look forward to being involved in it again in 2017.

Finally, on behalf of ReachOut, a huge thank you to Shanet, Emanuela, Hester, Qiao, Clemence, Josephine, Lizzy, Katherine and Julia who are all fantastic mentors and fundraisers!

They are now extremely busy getting ready for December 25^th…Good luck guys!

Young People Engage with the US Ambassador Day Before US Election!

This blog was written by former mentee and current mentor, Boma, who attended the event. Boma is currently volunteering at ReachOut both as a mentor and in our London office. 

The event at Bloomberg organised by ReachOut was truly a unique and amazing morning for the pupils at some of our partner schools. 200 students took hold of the amazing opportunity to meet Matthew Barzun, the current US Ambassador to the UK for a very informative and engaging Q and A session. Everyone attending had the opportunity to ask questions and say what they most loved and disliked about the superpower.

The most anticipated part of the morning for the pupils was rare chance to have a Q&A with US Ambassador, Matthew Barzun. Mr. Barzun gave a brief outline of what his job entailed but brilliantly left most of the session in the hands of the pupils who all had the opportunity to asks their questions about the global role of the United States. They also had the opportunity to voice their own opinions about what they most liked and disliked about the domestic and foreign policies of the United States, which led to a memorable discussion. 

It was clear this was a topic every pupil present was passionate about. Notable and contemporary topics that emerged included whether the United States should intervene in global affairs with consideration of the past and analysis of when such interventions have been positive or negative. Domestically, pupils were most passionate about the 2016 Presidential Election Candidates, Gun Laws and general differences in attitudes between Americans and British people. Mr. Barzun also helped us realise that our two nations have much more in common in present times than we may think and pupils indeed both contributed and took much valuable political knowledge away from the session. Mr. Barzun made his apolitical stance clear and let any political topics or views talked about come solely from the pupils, making it a very interesting, engaging and enjoyable event!

The Ambassador was introduced by Pete Blackwell, CEO of ReachOut, who gave an insightful and inspiring talk into the benefits of volunteering for both the mentors and the mentees. Starting out of an undergraduate volunteer himself whilst studying hard for a degree at Manchester, Pete explained the instrumental part he played starting up the London branch of ReachOut, previously only at Manchester. Pete made vivid the possible benefits effective social intervention could have for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds (99% of our ex-mentees who were on free school meals are now in employment or education compared to an 87% national average) and after showing how charitable work made his own life and that of other mentors more fulfilling, many pupils became interested in possibly volunteering themselves whilst at University!

The morning began with an inspirational introduction by Bloomberg's Philanthropy and Engagement manager, Caroline Rowley, showing how a good idea and hard work can make a company transform from a very small one to one of the most important and largest corporations in the world. Pupils were visibly enthralled and inspired by the fact that Bloomberg had grown from having just 4 employees in the early 1980s to a worldwide 19,000 in 2016. Pupils also learnt about possible future career options with Bloomberg for both graduates and school leavers. Pupils also left with knowledge of the commendable and large scale charitable exploits of Bloomberg as most of their initial knowledge of the company was mainly centered on Bloomberg’s journalism sector. They were also impressed by Bloomberg’s considerable donations to various charitable causes, such as making the world more environmentally friendly by encouraging the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

There was also an equally informative talk from Bloomberg’s Head of Security. We gained knowledge of the many dangers a large corporation such as Bloomberg can face from physical threats such as possible terrorist and political attacks on the building to attacks on valuable information such as Cyber Attacks and internal espionage. We gained some insight to the impressive countermeasures the hard working security team have taken to prevent such catastrophes from taking place. Bloomberg has been very successful in this respect and pupils were informed of the global disorganisation could result from a company as large as Bloomberg being affected by such events. 

Overall, it was an exciting and and enjoyable day which allowed attendees to learn about various different industries and global issues. 

Read more about this event on Bloombergs website:

https://www.bloomberg.com/philanthropy/blog/local-uk-students-discuss-world-affairs-us-ambassador-uk-bloomberg-london/?utm_source=mktgwebsite&utm_medium=diversityblog&utm_content=emea_apprenticeshipblog&utm_campaign=philanthropy

Hard work and ReachOut connections pay off for former mentee Tionne!

Two things we’re seriously proud of here at ReachOut are the fantastic achievements of the young people we work with and the long standing relationships we have with our corporate supporters. So when an opportunity arises for one of our young people to work with one of our corporate supporters we get very excited at ReachOut HQ – we’re like a proud parent!

This is exactly what happened for Tionne Tulloch-May last month.  Tionne first attended ReachOut at The Petchey Academy aged 12 and continued to attend weekly mentoring sessions until he was 16.  He is remembered by the ReachOut Academy Project Manager as a conscientious student who “used to do his work and always try to help the other boys”.  Once Tionne was too old to attend the ReachOut Academy himself he came back as a volunteer mentor and supported another young person from Hackney. Tionne has just left The Petchey Academy as one of their star pupils, achieving 14 A/A*s at GCSE and 5 A’S at A-Level!

Somehow this wasn’t enough for his first choice university and Tionne says “I no longer wanted to go to my second choice university so I assessed my other options and tried to find a job so that I remain productive on my gap year”. He got in touch with Peter Blackwell, the ReachOut CEO, who referred him to Bloomberg. Bloomberg were so impressed with Tionne’s CV they offered him an interview straight away and when he was offered the job he says he didn’t hesitate to accept.

“I felt relieved and after reading the job description, excited to learn about the role and meet my team! If it hadn't been for previous years at ReachOut and developing bonds and relationships, I wouldn't have known about the Bloomberg job and of course wouldn't be in the position I am now” he says.

Bloomberg has supported ReachOut since 2006. The global financial information and news leader has been part of our growth story, helping to support us as we moved from one school in Hackney to 19 schools across East and North London. Bloomberg's support has ranged from employees volunteering as mentors to hosting events at their impressive offices.

Tionne started at Bloomberg as a Data Analyst in September 2016 which involves collecting and analysing data that is given to Bloomberg from clients, including large corporations, wealthy individuals and governments. The role is varied and he says he is looking forward to working on an upcoming project that involves the Spanish market as it will hopefully give him the chance to practice his Spanish language skills!

The role at Bloomberg is a one year apprenticeship offered to school leavers by Bloomberg and Tionne believes it is the perfect role for him before university:  

“I definitely feel that this year of experience will put me ahead not only at university but also applying for future jobs. Once I finish my degree at university I will have both a good qualification as well as great experience from a world renowned and international company. The information I will gain may also apply to my degree and future jobs and I will have acclimatised to the working world in terms of hours and work expectations.”

We wish Tionne the best of luck in his new job and with his studies next year, as well as a huge thank you to Bloomberg who continue to support ReachOut and provide exciting opportunities for our young people to realise their potential. 

"The sessions are so much fun!" Student Mentors Tell Us How They Got Involved With ReachOut - And Why You Should Too!

Your Fresher’s Fair can be an overwhelming experience - hundreds of societies, clubs, sports teams and charities all vying for your attention...but which ones should you sign up to?? 

ReachOut are a young, fun and rewarding charity to get involved with – you’ll get just as much out of mentoring as you put in!  Don’t believe us?  We asked a few of our past and present student mentors to tell us what made ReachOut stand out to them and why you should signup to volunteer with ReachOut at your Fresher’s Fair.

David, 3^rd year LSE student

How did you find out about ReachOut?

I was really lucky and found out about ReachOut at fresher’s fair. During the hustle and bustle of the day I somehow picked up a flyer for ReachOut and the rest is history.

How did you sign up?

I applied online. There was a short questionnaire about my motivations and experience with volunteering. 

What made ReachOut stand out at your fresher’s fair?
ReachOut struck me as a different kind of charity. Its purpose wasn’t just academic and its structure allowed for real, meaningful connections between mentees and mentors. It seemed like a way to make an actual impact. 

Do you have any advice for fresher’s signing up to mentor?

If you have reservations about mentoring, don’t. Everyone is open and inviting and the sessions are so much fun they can’t even be considered work. Just go in, be yourself, and you'll surprise yourself with what you can do!

Harriet, 2^nd Year Queen Mary Student

How did you find out about ReachOut? 

I attended the Queen Mary fresher’s fair, where Fran (from ReachOut) stopped me and another two students, and talked to us! 

How did you sign up? 

I gave Fran my email, she emailed me, I looked on the website at the different projects and chose one. 

What made ReachOut stand out at your fresher’s fair?

It was something different. I liked the idea of giving back to the community I had just moved to. It's another way of exploring the local area. and meeting new people. And it's a great way of working with young people, but with only a small time commitment!

Do you have any advice for fresher’s signing up to mentor?

Get ready to have some slightly bizarre conversations if you mentor Year 6's - they come out with some really funny yet sincere things, which you just have to keep nodding your head to and carry on! Also, even if you aren't feeling confident, just act confident and the young people will instantly feel more at ease and follow your lead! Remember to have fun! 

Emma, 2^nd year City University student

How did you find out about ReachOut?

Fresher's Fair - I ended up with a leaflet  by the end of the day!

How did you sign up?

I went on the website and filled out the application form - it was easy.

What made ReachOut stand out at your fresher’s fair? 

I don't remember seeing their stall but I liked their leaflet!

Do you have any advice for fresher’s signing up to mentor?

Go for it!  It will be extremely gratifying and you will feel that it went too quickly once it's over. It will lend structure to your 1st year where (you'll discover) lectures don't.  It helped me to focus my time more effectively, gained my CV some incredible experience and helped me to discover some new interests. I would advise everyone to take the time during 1st year to take part in activities valuable for their CVs, so that if you find yourself locked in the library in 2nd/3rd year, you still have plenty to talk about at interviews!

Oli, 3^rd year UCL student

How did you find out about ReachOut?

It was by word of mouth-  one of my close friends from school and university was involved in the ReachOut club and he recommended it to me.  I was looking for volunteering opportunities with young people, to get involved in the local community and to develop interpersonal skills - ReachOut felt like a perfect fit.  

How did you sign up?

My friend sent me the link to the ReachOut website and I signed up that way. I went to the office and filled out my DBS form. The training was organised quickly and I started on my first project as soon as my DBS came through.

What made ReachOut stand out at your fresher’s fair?

Although I didn't hear out about ReachOut from a fresher’s fair, the charity has really stood out to me because of the friendly and knowledgeable staff who run the projects and support the volunteers.

Do you have any advice for fresher’s signing up to mentor?

1. Just have fun- be relaxed, and the rest will come naturally.  Hopefully this won't be too difficult as the kids can be hilariously entertaining. 

2. Be prepared to be challenged and learn from your mentee. I am frequently astounded by the intelligence and creativity of our mentees. Remember that mentoring is a two way process. Teaching and communicating with people from different walks of life are good skills, eminently usable in professional life after university.

So what are you waiting for?  You can sign up to volunteer with ReachOut via our website now! 

Radical History Conference – Queen Mary University

ReachOut mentors and staff are always looking out for new opportunities to broaden our mentees' horizons. This year as part of their history project some of the ReachOut Y10 mentees from Bishop Challoner have been helping with the archiving of a project at Bishopsgate Institute. ReachOut mentee Maryama attended a history conference to speak about the project.  She did a fantastic job and has written a blog about her experience...

Queen Mary University held a Radical History Conference which showcased the works of numerous topics and projects within the city from Picasso’s Guernica to Free University education. I was filled with pride and overjoyed to be representing ReachOut at a special film screening and question and answer session of the ‘Velvet Fist’ choir.

This thrilling opportunity was made possible through the documenting the oral history for the choir by multiple Bishop Challoner students in Tower Hamlets with, Beyond Past, an organisation run by Rosa Kurowska who is currently a ReachOut Project Leader at my school. Over the April half, I was among the four year 10 pupils who filmed and conducted the interviews of four of the ten Velvet Fist choir members.

Now I am sure you are just itching to know what exactly this unique choir is all about.
Velvet Fist was founded in 1983 as part of an arts project organized by the Communist Party. Originally a mixed choir called Artery Choir they later became a women’s group and changed their name to Velvet Fist. They have sung at many festivals and for political campaigns for human rights, equality and social justice such as the Various Voices Festival at South Bank in 2009, the National Portrait Gallery in 2010, and a concert in support of Palestinian women in Camden in 2010. As a strong believer in equality and freedom and pioneer of moral values in society I was more than happy to take part in the conference this July.

Once the conference began, Rosa gave a PowerPoint presentation on Velvet Fist and the importance of oral history. The film screening was played and lasted 20 minutes, as it came to an end the audience were filled with though provoking queries. They were posed by academics and members of the general public. To give you a flavour of their thoughts, my most memorable question which I was asked was ‘how were the dynamics between working with the former choir members’. To my amazement, over the past few months I was intrigued to find that there were many similarities between us, the pupils and the senior choir members. This ranged from our love of feminism to our political views of the EU Referendum.

This experience in particular strengthened my presentation skills and channelled my voice to standing up to atrocities which are taking place in our world and speaking out against the fundamental rights of others. I’d like to leave you with this lasting quote by Suzy Kassem an American author, filmmaker, philosopher:
                                ‘Stand up for what is right even if you stand alone.’

FEA State Of The Nation Report Launch

The Fair Education Alliance published its second annual state of the nation report in April 2016. The report explores fairness in the education system in England and whether the country is on track to achieve the Fair Education Impact Goals by 2022. The report can be read here. 

ReachOut is one of 55 organisations who are members of the Fair Education Alliance which is made up of universities, businesses and third sector organisations who have committed to work together to eradicate educational inequality.

Whilst the gap had improved in areas such as London, the equality gap had grown in some areas in the north, including major cities such as Liverpool and Leeds. 

On 14th June 2016, ReachOut were proud to be part of the FEA report card launch at The University of Manchester. The event's key note speaker, Lemn Sissay, gave an inspiring speech that included one of his trademark poems entitled, 'Inspire and be Inspired'. The event also featured a presentation by FEA Director Lewis Iwu, and a panel discussion. 

Members on the panel were: ReachOut Manchester Manager  Chloe Spencer, co-founder of the Tutor Trust Nick Bent, Chief Executive and Academy Principal of The Dean Trust Tarun Kapur CBE, Head of Widening Participation at the University of Manchester Stephanie Lee, and Kelsey Dumville, a full-time volunteer for City Year Greater Manchester. Chairing the event was Julian Skyrme, Director of social responsibility at the University of Manchester. 

Fair education is at the heart of ReachOut's ethos. We believe our education system should produce happy, community spirited young people with the drive to succeed in life. The only way we can do that is by closing the educational gap that exists between children from affluent families and children from disadvantaged families. Chloe Spencer discussed ReachOut's mentoring programmes and how the teaching of character must play a large part in closing that gap.

"This may be where you're from but this doesn't have to be your destination" - Chloe Spencer, ReachOut Manchester Director

The  panel spoke fervently about the need for every aspect of our society to work towards a fair and equitable education system, one where no child is left behind. Tarun Kapur spoke about the schools in the Dean Trust and the need to get the right staff in the right positions. Nick Bent spoke about the need for high quality, affordable tuition for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and Kelsey from CityYear spoke about the need for more people to get involved in closing the gap through volunteering.

The event was a great success and highlighted the important work that ReachOut and all the other organisations do to improve the life chances of young people in the UK. 

Working together is vital if we are to achieve the FEA impact goals by 2022. That's why we need you! Why not make a commitment to eradicating educational disadvantage by volunteering? 

ReachOut are recruiting mentors for the 2016-2017 academic year. Apply now and help close the gap!

An Adventure in Learning for the ReachOut Club

In May and June, the ReachOut clubs in Manchester went on learning adventures to some of the best museums and attractions the city has to offer. The mentees have been working hard all year and have made fantastic strides on their character journeys. Many of the clubs also sat their SATs in May and will be hoping that all the hard work they've been putting in at ReachOut will pay off. The trips were an ideal way to end the projects this year, and a lovely reward for our mentees.

The majority of our trips were to the Museum of Science and Industry. Located on the historic site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station, housed in five listed buildings – the Museum tells the story of the city’s scientific and industrial past, present and future. Each club project enjoyed a very special explosions workshop, where they took on the role of investigators trying to solve a 100 year old crime. Who blew up the rail house? Was it Heavy Metal Mary? Frank The Tank? Or even Brian the Cow?

After the workshop the intrepid investigators made their way down to the experiments hall where they learnt about things such as recycling, friction, and even tornadoes. A huge thank you goes out to all the staff at MOSI for making our trips such a fun and informative experience.

Our young people from the Heald Place club went on a marine-life escapade to the Sea Life centre. We saw sharks, stingrays, and Moray Eels up close, and even got to handle some starfish in the rock pool section. The children learnt a lot about Sea Life's worldwide conservation efforts and about the habitats and food chains of all the different species at the centre.

We’d like to thank all our partner schools, mentors, and most importantly mentees for making the year so fantastic. We can’t wait to do it all again in September.

The World of Work Macquarie Workshop

As well as regular mentoring, ReachOut also provides young people across London and Manchester with the opportunity to take part in various workshops with some of our fantastic corporate supporters.  These sessions provide young people with valuable experience in the workplace and a half day workshop can be truly inspiring to those thinking about which career path to take!

Earlier this month, a group of mixed Year 10 students from Bishop Challoner and Heartlands High School made their way to Macquarie Bank to learn more about what a typical day there looks like.  Their first challenge was to find the offices without using their phones for assistance – an impossible task judging by the looks on some of their faces!  The students were encouraged to work as a team and pluck up the confidence to ask passers-by for directions (accompanied by ReachOut staff of course!).  With their first challenge complete, they arrived at Macquarie right on time and were quickly shown to the Board Room where they met the Macquarie volunteers.

The World of Work workshop is designed to give young people a better understanding of the roles available to them and inspiration for future careers.  After a couple of icebreaker games Richard King, a long standing ReachOut mentor, gave a presentation on the different departments within Macquarie, along with examples of some of the clients and deals they have been involved with.  The mention of Manchester United and Adidas as clients certainly caught the students’ attention!  After this there was a “working lunch” where the students were encouraged to engage with the volunteers about their experience working for Macquarie and ask questions about their working life.

After lunch the students broke into smaller groups and were treated to a tour of the Macquarie offices, which are very impressive!  After walking around the trading floor the girls noted out loud the high ratio of men to women working on the floor – the Macquarie staff were quick to assure them that they would love to have more women working in trading but they needed more women to apply.  This sparked a conversation about how trading has traditionally been male dominated and the girls were very interested to learn that this was a career option for them!  

The students spent the rest of the afternoon playing the Trading Game – an interactive activity in which students and volunteers work in groups to buy and sell stock at the best prices – with the winning team being the one that has made the biggest profit!  

Our workshops are a fantastic opportunity for both the students and volunteers to develop their skills by putting themselves out of their comfort zone and communicating effectively with a greater range of people.

A special thank you goes out to all the volunteers from Macquarie who gave up their time to work with our young people! 

Forget the Euros, it's all about the London Charity Cup!

The annual ReachOut Charity Cup tournament returned to London for the 8^th year running on Friday 3^rd June and it was a huge success!  With 6 corporate teams set to battle it out for the coveted ReachOut Winners trophy, there was everything to play for.

As always, the tournament was organised by young people from the ReachOut Academy programme.  Pinto Kisanga and Korede Tijana, both aged 14 and students at Petchey Academy, spent two days in the ReachOut office planning  the tournament, choosing and ordering the trophies, booking the referees and visiting local shops and businesses to persuade them to donate refreshments (resulting in a £65 donation of food and drink from Co-Op!).  On the day of the tournament they were indispensable, helping to set up the team areas and refreshments, greeting the teams, presenting a short introduction, keeping track of scores and conducting an official trophy presentation ceremony at the end.

Bloomberg, UBS, Macquarie Bank, Rede Partners, Augentius and Stockton FC battled it out in the round robin group stage with the top two teams progressing to the final.   There were some unlucky misses, vital interceptions and impressive goals. All of the teams showed great character and sportsmanship throughout.

Macquarie narrowly missed out on a spot in the final which pitted Bloomberg against Stockton FC.  It was a close game but Stockton FC finally pulled ahead winning the final 3-2 to be crowned the ReachOut Charity Cup Winners 2016!

Pinto and Korede awarded trophies for the following catagories:

Top Goalscorer – Max Barron from Stockton FC

Female Player of the Tournament – Rebecca Jones from UBS

Male Player of the Tournament – Jason Alawo from Bloomberg

Sportsmanship Award – Kristin Butzke from UBS

Charity Cup Tournament Winners 2016 – Stockton FC

James Baulk of Stockton FC had this to say, “Thanks for all the effort that everyone at Reach Out put into the tournament. It was a really enjoyable evening and everything was organised brilliantly”

Pinto, one of our mentee organisers said of his experience, "I had a lot of fun at the ReachOut Charity Cup.  It was a lot of responsibility because everything was organised by me and Korede and it improved my organisation skills and punctuality.  It was a really good experience because we had to set everything up and present the trophies and I recommend to the Yr 8’s that they should do it next year."

ReachOut would like to say thank you to everyone who helped organise the tournament and all the players for taking part – it was a brilliant evening and we hope to see you all again in 2017!