The Reach Foundation

A message from our new CEO! Hi everyone, It’s been a busy six weeks since I started at Reach with lots to update you on as we slide into the end of the year and some warmer weather (finally!). My first weekend at Reach was as a participant at our Thousand Faces camp. If you know this program then you know how powerful it can be and I have to admit I was unprepared for the profound impact it had on me and on fellow participants. A group of 25 adults and 25 young people spend two and a half days together sharing, learning and growing and I felt the legacy of 30 years of dedication to young people at work. I also got to watch our team – facilitators, crew and supporters and it was a sight to be seen. A group of talented, skilled, special individuals … there is not enough room on the page for pride I have in joining this team. The Reach team and family are to be celebrated every day. Speaking of celebrations we have had a number of moments this year to acknowledge, the 30th year of The Reach Foundation and the journey to support young people. At the end of October we have the Gala Ball at the National Gallery of Victoria where we get to stop and take a moment to look back at Jim Stynes and Paul Currie’s vision and look forward to the next 30 years and raise some funds! I am really looking forward to getting to know the Reach family and perhaps sharing a bit about my background too. I humbly take the reins with a 25 year career spanning different industries and many leadership roles. The richness and diversity of my experience will be directed at supporting improvements and sustainable business strategies as well as reaching more young people with our workshops. The more young people that can experience a Reach workshop – the further we go to supporting the positive wellbeing of our future generation. 2025 planning is underway and if you are interested in supporting our programs we want to hear from you. The economic and fundraising environment remains a challenge so we’re keen to know if you or your business is in a position to support the extraordinary work we do. I look forward to sharing more and thank you for staying connected to Reach. Alison.

Thanks to R U OK? Day for the important reminder that every day is a good day to ask your mates how they are, because a conversation can change a life. At Reach we are having these vital conversations around mental health and well-being every single day with young Australians across the country ❤️ In fact we work with over 30 thousand young people a year. In our programs and workshops young people are given a voice, a chance to speak about their experiences and opportunities for growth. Credit to R U OK? Day for the resource on the final slide.

The Reach Board is pleased to announce Alison Wright will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer as we farewell and celebrate Louisa Keck who has been with Reach for 15 years. Lou began her career at Reach as a crew member and Facilitator and has held a number of senior roles before taking up the Chief Executive role last year. Lou has made the difficult decision to move on from her role from September as CEO, as she takes the next step in her career and the Board is fully supportive of this decision. We are very pleased to announce that Alison Wright will step into the position as an experienced CEO in the not for profit sector having also worked as an executive in a wide range of industries for more than 15 years. On behalf of all of us at Reach, we would like to extend a huge thank you to Lou for her commitment and passion for the work of Reach, our teams and the tens of thousands of young people who benefit from our programs every year. We look forward to Alison joining the Reach family, charged with setting a new future for our organisation. Lou will be finishing up in her role at the end of August, with Alison set to start on August 19th. Alison looks forward to meeting the team and the wider Reach community in the weeks to come. Please join us in making Alison very welcome as she joins the Reach family. Click on the link below to watch an update from Ferg, Lou & Alison. https://lnkd.in/g_668FXy

THE REACH GALA BALL 2024 OCTOBER 25, 6.30PM-LATE National Gallery of Victoria Join us for a magical evening in the Great Hall as we celebrate 30 years of the Art of Reach at our annual Gala Ball. Early Bird tickets on sale now - get in quick before first release sells out! https://lnkd.in/gcRDpqWt

Earlier this month a team of facilitators went to Shepparton to deliver a week's worth of programs across the region. This was made possible due to incredible support from the Uptown Estate, developed by DM Property and Occasio - thank you for making sure our work is accessible for the young people who need us most. Here's what facilitator Fearn had to say about the experience: “Working in Shepparton this past week has been an amazing experience, we have seen so much growth from the young people we have worked with and we can see the positive effect within the school community. Over our workshops we saw the willingness of young people to understand one another better and the want to empower themselves. We look forward to working closely with the Shepparton community and fostering that trusted relationship and continuing to give opportunities for young people to create change for themselves.” https://lnkd.in/gZXnGUUj

Thank you for the ongoing support from the legends at McLardy McShane Insurance Brokers as we enter our 30th year! 🙏🏼✨ Your support and belief in what we do truly means the world. Reach wouldn’t be where it is today without McLardy McShane!

On Saturday night we held our annual #RoundforReach in partnership with the Melbourne Football Club. It was incredible to see the Dees get the win, and to be able to share the impact of Reach's work with over 50,000 footy fans - plus everyone watching at home! The campaign was all about continuing the legacy of our co-founder Jim Stynes, and we asked the community to donate $11 in tribute to Jim's important work both at Melbourne and in founding Reach. There's still a few hours left to donate to go into the draw to win tickets to a Melbourne or Essendon Football Club President's Function. You can watch our campaign video and make a donation via the link below. https://lnkd.in/gUHrGsWA

It Started with Jim, It Continues with You. This Saturday night, we honour our co-founder Jim Stynes' legacy with our annual Round for Reach, in partnership with Melbourne Football Club and Zurich Insurance. Saturday 13th July, 7.30pm, The MCG. Melbourne vs Essendon. Watch our campaign video and support Jim's legacy by donating $11 to continue Reach's preventative mental health programs with young people across Australia. Thank you to Third Space Studios and Good One Creative for bringing this campaign vision to life. Donate here: https://lnkd.in/gUHrGsWA https://lnkd.in/gN9QT7tK

As Term 2 comes to a close we are reflecting on the MASSIVE term of impact we’ve created for more than 10,000 young people! 🤯 Over the next couple of weeks we will be shining a spotlight on this impact and telling the stories of some of the workshops we’ve delivered this term. 🔦 Over the school holidays, our crew will be busy delivering our school holiday program Ignite, participating in Junior Crew Camp, moving offices and enjoying a well earned break! 😌 See you in Term 3! 💪🏼👏🏼

Read about our CEO's journey from Reach workshop participant to running the organisation - thank you to Balance The Grind for the feature! Balance the Grind is on a mission to showcase healthy work-life balance through interesting stories from people all over the world, in different careers and lifestyles. https://lnkd.in/gARmCG8c