REACH Charity Ltd
Reach is a charity supporting children with upper limb differences, encouraging and inspiring all the children to aim high.
The small Reach head office in Tavistock works with a dedicated network of volunteer branch coordinators spread across 19 defined areas of the UK and Ireland, connecting families and creating lifelong friendships among the 900 members at the heart of the charity. It aims to offer fun activities, events and advice for the children and their families, providing safe and inclusive opportunities to share experiences and build valuable networks.
Toni’s story
Reach member Toni was born without her right hand; she is the youngest daughter of Shona and Martin. Shona found out at 20 weeks that Toni would be born with an upper limb difference and it was a shock as both hands seemed to be present at the first scan. Shona knew that everything would be ok though, as she works with children with disabilities; she says Toni is a great teenager and they are all very proud of her swimming achievements.
Toni picks up the story: “I was born without my right hand. I had a prosthesis at an early age but rarely used it. I now have a specially made one which I use in the gym. My family, friends and school have been very supportive. I have been bought up to think I can do whatever I set my mind to. From an early age I always wanted to be a successful para-swimmer, so my childhood instructor at a local team suggested I try out for a club. I went from swimming with the Cults Otters to swimming for the University of Aberdeen and then on to represent the Scotland GB team. My passion is swimming, and my successes to date include 2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze medals at the European Championships in Dublin 2018 and winning the same medals at the World Para Championships in London 2019. My ambition is to represent Great Britain at the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020 and the trials for team selection are in April. My advice to other Reach children is - do not let your impairment stand in your way; you can achieve your goals if you try hard. I have been a member of Reach charity all my life; they are my second family and have allowed me to meet other children with upper limb differences, showing me, I am not alone in the world.”
The charity relies very heavily on its volunteers and Reach national coordinator Deb Bond, says that the fundraising of members is truly astonishing with family and friends hosting activities such as bake sales, quizzes and dance-athons, alongside awe-inspiring physical challenges such as trekking to Everest base camp, rowing marathons, Ironman triathlons and swimming endurance distances. Reach members also take on five allocated places at the London Marathon and collectively all of the money raised goes towards bursaries for car adaptations for drivers, adaptations to musical instruments or sporting equipment, and of course towards funding the many family branch and national events.
Reach has a mentor system in place where older children are trained to support the younger members. Mentors play an important role at the regular meets and camps and can be inspirational for those still coming to terms with their situation. Further inspiration is found in the many Paralympians and media celebrity members who motivate younger members to achieve their personal goals, including triple world champion para-triathlete and recent Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lauren Steadman; journalist, comedian and presenter of Channel 4’s The Last Leg, Alex Brooker; and Bake Off’s Bryony Williams. Deb says: “We recognise that different families want different levels of support, and so we tailor our approach to suit them, providing resources and practical information. The charity’s aim is to help all Reach children achieve their potential and we celebrate ability, never focusing on differences. Our members are amazing and we shout about their achievements whenever we can.” Reach’s motto is ‘Live life without limits’ and this inspiring charity is certainly doing that.
Nichola Williams
For more information visit www.reach.org.uk or contact reach@reach.org.uk, 0845 130 6225 or 020 3478 0100. If you would like to donate to Reach please click on the donate button on our website - every penny goes towards helping our children and their families.