Recent Successes Amongst Our Voluntary Organisations
Counsel and Care
 Counsel and Care is a national charity which provides advice, support and information for older people, their families and carers. The charity is developing an ambitious project to help create a new national network of befriending schemes called VitalLinks. This project will strengthen local befriending schemes for older people around the country and encourage new schemes to be set up. Challenged with the need for support and human resource in setting up such a project, Counsel and Care approached Reach. Reach volunteer Alma Erlich was one of the first to volunteer for this project. A chartered psychologist by profession, Alma brought solid analytical skills and psychological insight to best express what the older people needed. Says Kathleen Gillett, VitalLinks Project Coordinator of Alma, “It was really good to have someone so thoughtful at the beginning and she helped me with the promotional materials for the VitalLinks website.” Alma has also contributed significantly to the project strategy.
Community IT Academy
 Community IT Academy (CITA) provides IT training, website design and IT service and support, helping mainly voluntary organisations to maintain and develop their use of IT. At a crossroads, Newcastle-based CITA called upon Reach to help evaluate what they were doing to see if they were making a difference in the voluntary sector. Susan Staines, Reach volunteer, contributed her 30 years of experience in education management and produced a report that "proved to be an extremely valuable document," says John Sadler, a CITA director. It concluded that CITA was making a valuable input and presented proposals for the way forward. "She has been a great help."
Elizabeth Finn Care
 Reach works closely with Elizabeth Finn Care, a charity founded in 1897 that helps professional people in need. Reach regularly places volunteer Case Consultants across the UK who assess potential beneficiaries in their own homes and submit recommendations for assistance.
Skills 4U
 Skills 4U Northeast provides young people with hands-on experience in the building trade, "giving them construction qualifications and a foot in the door of the industry," as Mark Knott, founder of the social enterprise said.
Skills 4U were looking to develop their business especially in their relationship with secondary schools. Susan Staines, a Reach volunteer with an extensive background in education and training, was ideal. Mark Knott reported "Susan presented us with a strategic plan that helped us move forward. If we didn’t have her, we wouldn’t be sure we were moving on in the right direction."
Quiet Cup Cafe
 Staff and volunteers run the Quiet Cup Café, a project of the Grampian Racial Equality Council (GREC), committed to combating racism in the North East of Scotland. At the Café people looking to improve their English and to integrate with the local community can volunteer as waiters and waitresses and in food preparation, to learn skills that will improve their employability. Reach volunteer Rocio Moreno is researching and developing policies in food handling and hygiene, stock purchases and delivery for the community café.
Tideway56
 Bound by a common love of sailing, able-bodied and visually or otherwise disabled sailors learn together and sail together at the Tideway Sailability club at the Surrey Docks Water Centre in South London. For more than 20 years the Club has provided the opportunity for hundreds of members to sail throughout the year. Reach volunteer Harjohd Gill combined his love of sailing with an offer of help. He became treasurer and Reach has now found a new director, Kevin Abbott, who helps with the funding and the Club Commodore 's administrative tasks.
Beacon Counselling
 Beacon Counselling is committed to helping anyone with emotional problems such as bereavement, family relationships, abuse and stress. Last year, the Stockport charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2008. James Harper, Beacon Manager, pictured with Changemaker volunteer adviser Alan Smith, said "Reach has been fantastic … we've taken advantage of the Changemaker Project which has revolutionised our approach to grants and other applications."
Knights Youth Centre
 Knights Youth Centre provides activities and learning opportunities for young people in South London. Reach found Este van der walt to become the staff and development officer for their management committee. She undertook a project to assess and identify the training needs of the charity. Senior Youth Worker, Stu Thomson has been impressed with her contribution. "She fits the bill exactly, with her passion for the project and her ability to get the best out of the staff and volunteers".
Pathways
 Outside in Pathways are a project offering art-based workshops in London's museums and galleries for people with learning disabilities. Deborah Evans-Stickland, the programme co-ordinator, was delighted with the strategic support given by Heather Honour, the Reach volunteer. "She restructured the steering group and gave us fundraising advice, found us an excellent treasurer and secured interviews with the disability and community care press".
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