One of the things that we hear over and over again from our volunteer mentors is just how rewarding mentoring a young person can be. Seeing them grow in character and confidence over the course of their project gives so many of our volunteers a sense of having made a real impact in their community.

Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at ReachOut, and many of them are university students based in and around the areas we work. As well as the knowledge that they’re making a difference, we want to give something back to our volunteer mentors and today we’re excited to launch ReachOut Futures, a refreshed take on what was previously our ReachOut Level Up Experience.

ReachOut Futures is a unique volunteering programmes that rewards university students who volunteer as mentors with exciting career and employment opportunities.  

We work with a wide range of corporate partners to offer our mentors access to:

• Employability workshops on topics such as money management, effective presenting and interview skills.  
• Industry insight days, where students are introduced to a variety of different industries.  
• Their own career mentor – an experienced working professional they can have regular conversations with about their career goals and aspirations.
• The opportunity to apply for exciting internships and work experience placements. 

For students that give their time as a volunteer mentor, ReachOut Futures means expanding their mentoring experience through learning new skills, making new connections and having access to exciting career development opportunities. And, this all on top of making a genuine difference in the life of a young person.

For our corporate partners, ReachOut Futures connects them with enthusiastic, motivated and diverse talent, helping contribute to their wider social mobility aims and giving their staff opportunities to volunteer and make an impact.