Why Support The Big ReachOut Raise?

It costs £10,000 to deliver a year long project for up to 12 young people. This year ReachOut is supporting more than 800 young people across Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and London to develop their character, raise aspirations and improve their academic and social confidence. We need YOU to help us to carry out this vital work.

One of our former mentees, Rhiana shares her experience of ReachOut below:

I am now much more confident in what I am capable of and in who I am as a person.

Growing up I didnt enjoy secondary school much and always struggled with the feeling like I didnt belong, so I kept to myself as much as possible.

I think that started when I transitioned between primary and secondary school and it was really hard for me. My new school was in a different borough and most of my friends werent going there. I didnt feel like I fitted into this new environment, so I ended up isolating myself and would just stick within my comfort zone.

When I started ReachOut, it pushed me outside of that rigid comfort zone that I had built up. It felt like therapy in some sense, when you start to build trust and learn how to open up which is something I wasnt used to. I think ReachOut also helped us as a collective group of young people to understand each other better.

ReachOut really impacted my life in a big way, I cant attribute it to just one mentor, exchange or experience. The ReachOut team were amazing, they always spared time to really talk to us and help us reach our goals. The Project Leader always believed in me and constantly motivated me to challenge my thought process and perspectives. I dont think I wouldve got half the financial work experience I did get without the support of ReachOuts former CEO, who kept pushing me forward for various opportunities.

I gained various skills through workshops put on by ReachOut such as public speaking, which I previously was really bad at. After school finished, I went on to study Economics with Econometrics at University and got onto to the Civil Service Fast Stream Economist Scheme. I am currently working as an Economist tax relief evaluator in HMRC.

The main thing I learnt from my time at ReachOut is that you should be your biggest cheerleader because you should be the first person to believe in yourself, and that will make others (especially in interviews) do so as well. I am now much more confident in what I am capable of and in who I am as a person thanks to ReachOut".