Dear Friend
Most days, I wanted to run away from the estate where I grew up.
My name’s Bhavin, and I’m ReachOut’s Operations Officer, but 15 years ago, I was a ReachOut mentee and a young kid growing up in Hackney.
Everywhere on our estate there was the temptation of drugs. I didn’t want to be there, and all of my friends felt the same way. I got into fights at school, couldn’t focus on my work, skipped class and felt like a failure.
One day, I came home from school and my mum told me she’d received a letter from my head teacher. I’d been chosen as one of ten boys in my school to visit a male prison because I was at risk of being expelled. 3 of those boys would later end up in that prison for selling drugs.
After that visit, I was also chosen as part of a group for something very different. My teacher referred me to ReachOut, and I met my mentor, Nick. Nick wasn’t a teacher, a friend or a family member, but he was there for me, every Wednesday, after school.
He helped me with my homework and gave me coping mechanisms to help vent my frustrations. My confidence soared and, for the first time in a long time, I felt motivated.
I passed my GCSEs, stayed on in the sixth form, achieved my A Levels in and secured a place at university. I got my degree in Finance and went on to get a Masters in Risk Management and Assurance.
I owe so much to Nick, and to ReachOut – I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. And now, as ReachOut’s Operations Officer, I can help other young people who need that same support and intervention.
I’m writing to ask if you’d consider supporting our work as a member of our Friends of ReachOut Giving Club. Through a minimum donation of £2,500, or £200 per month, you’ll be playing a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of our mentoring projects across London, Greater Manchester and Liverpool, directly funding provision for up to four young people every year.
You’ll join a network of like-minded people committed to ensuring that a young person’s background and circumstances are not a barrier to their future success and happiness. You’ll also receive invites to exclusive events as well as detailed reports that show the impact your support is having.
Find out more about how to make your donation at reachoutuk.org/friends-of-reachout or via the form below.
If you’d like to discuss becoming a Friend of ReachOut in more detail you can contact Ben Hilton, ReachOut’s CEO, via ben.hilton@reachoutuk.org.
And, if you’re not able to commit as a friend of ReachOut, we would still enormously value any amount you might be able to give.
Thank you for taking the time to read this,
Bhavin
Bhavin Jamnadas
Operations Officer, ReachOut
We’ve love you to join our Friends of ReachOut giving club! You can donate online by selecting your donation amount below.
Your money could go further if you pay by Direct Debit and will support our long term growth and sustainability. Monthly donations are handled by a Direct Debit Mandate with your bank and processed securely each month by GoCardless. You can cancel your Direct Debit at any time.
“At first, I was really hesitant to take on the Project Leader role, despite having mentored with ReachOut. However, with the support of the team I’ve really developed my skills. For example, at the Mentee Graduation, I stood up in front of 200 people and presented an award which is something I would never ever have been able to have done before, and isn’t an opportunity I could gain in my other situations.”
Amy McCutcheon, Project Leader at ReachOut Academy, Dean Trust Ardwick, Manchester.
“Being able to spend the summer working at Rede Partners, was an amazing experience. Whether it was working in HR or Finance, I learned so much about the world of private equity, made great connections with fantastic people and I got to learn first-hand what it would be like to work there! I really believe that I can go onto build the career I want now I’ve been a part for a workplace for real”
Victor Adekunle, 18 years old, ReachOut Ambassador, London
“When I first my mentee, she was very reluctant to participate in the sessions. Now, I see a completely different person! Her confidence has grown and she is happy to join in! She still has some self-doubt when it comes to academic work, but that’s what I hope to help her overcome, because she is a very bright person!
Through mentoring, I’ve learnt I’m a lot more patient than I realised. There will be days where she refuses to participate and those are the days that I really see the importance of the character strengths, for both the mentees and the mentors. It also makes it easier for the mentee to understand the character strengths, when I use them myself”
Myrtle, ReachOut Club mentor at Tufnell Primary School, London
“There are more distractions than ever outside of school, and the commitment of our students to attend ReachOut sessions is testament to the value they place on the relationships they foster there, and the challenge and enjoyment they provide.
ReachOut’s focus on communication skills and character development has become an important aspect of our provision of support for these students. The opportunity to relate to a positive role- model other than their usual teachers is key to the programme’s impact, and the evidence of this has been seen in the students’ attendance, resilience and to their overall progress across all the subjects in the school.”
Thomas Janvrin, Assistant Vice Principal at the Petchey Academy London
