ReachOut is a mentoring charity that gives young people from disadvantaged backgrounds weekly one-to-one support from a volunteer mentor.  It helps them to develop their character, raise aspirations, improve their academic attainment, and achieve their potential.

What began in Manchester in 1994 as a simple homework club with just 20 young people had, by 2004, expanded to London. Today, ReachOut also works in the deprived London boroughs of Camden, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets with mentors from many companies and universities. 

All ReachOut programmes are delivered in schools in areas of economic disadvantage, with over 600 people volunteering as a mentor each week. 

ReachOut’s mentors are inspirational role models. The two mentoring programmes (one primary and one secondary) provide one-to-one support for young people aged 9 to 16, many of whom go on to become mentors themselves, supporting others and helping to change and improve their own communities. 

Our £150,000 grant over three years in 2019 was to run six new annual projects aimed at ensuring ongoing participation among the most difficult-to-engage disadvantaged young people in three secondary schools across deprived East London boroughs.  It followed our previous two year £80,000 grant in 2017 for a similar project.

“ReachOut has built my confidence and I have become much closer to the other mentees. I can practice my Maths and English skills outside of school too which is good. I use my character strengths in school often. Let’s say in class some people might not get something, so like, if they get something wrong, instead of making fun of them, using Good Judgement I could help them instead” Lawrence, ReachOut Academy Mentee