Veteran ReachOut! volunteer Steph Pickerill was recently awarded the QMUL Volunteer Leaver of the Year Award for her efforts in supporting ReachOut! throughout her three years as an English student at Queen Mary. Here’s why she deserves this award…
Steph began volunteering with ReachOut! in her first year as a volunteer mentor on the Midweek Mentoring Project at Brook Community Primary School and again in her second year at Springfield Community Primary School providing academic and personal support to several year 6 children, and in particular her own mentees, for 2 hours a week.
In 2010 she gave up three weeks of her summer to work as a volunteer English teacher at the ReachOut! Summer Programme for 5 days a week. Here she taught children about persuasive writing, how to construct formal letters and helped them to produce some wonderful articles about the work that ReachOut! does during the summer. 
We were so impressed with Steph that we asked her to run a Midweek Mentoring Project at Cayley Primary School this year as a paid sessional worker which she happily agreed to. Unfortunately we were unable to raise enough funds for the position, but Steph insisted that rather than cancel the project, she would run it as a volunteer, becoming our first volunteer project co-ordinator and enabling an extra 10 children to receive one-to-one mentoring this year - a fantastic achievement! (In return they produced this beautiful work of art depicting Steph in her role as co-ordinator!)
Steph’s commitment to ReachOut! goes far beyond what is expected; she regularly writes posts for the ReachOut! London blog, and in July 2010 she ran 10k for ReachOut! and raised an amazing £1000! (See photo below for proof!) 
Her spirit in volunteering is sensational; she is incredibly reliable and a great participator. She has a hardworking and determined character and is never afraid to use her initiative to find new and fun ways to engage the children. She is more than deserving of this award and we are so pleased that she has received recognition for her efforts. She is a role model to all students on how you can balance university life and successfully find time to volunteer and make a real difference.
Congratulations Steph and thank you!
Passing through the car park, filled with Porsches, Audis and Range Rovers, the ReachOut! kids were given a Barclays t-shirt each and then whisked off to Fulham’s indoor astro pitch, set in an inflatable dome next to the first team training pitches. Catching glimpses of stars like Mark Schwarzer and Brede Hangeland as they passed, the children were ushered inside the dome for an hour of top football coaching from Fulham FC staff.
Over the next hour they were put through their paces by elite coaches, showing great skill and enthusiasm as they did their best to impress (always hoping to be scouted). Afterwards they were joined by Mark Hughes and Clint Dempsey for a question and answer session and shirt signing! The Fulham gaffer was in great form as he told the kids about his pride when asked to manage Wales and Clint Dempsey filled the kids in on what it takes for players to get scouted back home in the USA. After half an hour of questions and photos we filed back to the train station, tired but happy after a unique experience.
this year’s champions), ReachOut! Volunteers (runners up) Macquarie, Barclays Capital and ReachOut! Staff, the event was a huge success raising £2175! 
