Reflections on 10 years of the digital Reach platform

“I joined Reach as a digital trustee just as the project to build the digital platform was about to kick off. Reach had an excellent group of trustees with a wide range of skills, and I was recruited to bring my digital expertise to the board at this critical time. As the only trustee with a digital background, my role was very much to help guide the board and ask the right questions about the delivery of the project. 

“At the time, the creation of a digital, self-service platform felt like a very new thing, certainly to the charity sector. It was driven by Reach’s CEO, Janet Thorne, whose vision for the creation of a digital product that would match volunteers and their skills with charities was deeply rooted in the desire to give a great user experience while enabling the charity to grow. 

“The most common mistake with technology is thinking it will solve every problem. Many make this mistake, ranging from individuals through to the biggest organisations. Projects fail because they mutate so they become driven by technology, losing focus on their original goal.

“The Reach project thrived because everyone understood early on that technology only works if it directly addresses what Reach service users need. As a small organisation, everyone at Reach understood this. It was an enthusiastic team, led astutely by Janet, backed by a receptive and supportive board.

“From the outset, Reach had a clear vision and mission, and knew what the digital Reach platform needed to do. Reach always understood the technology was there to support its mission, not change its mission, and to work for its users above all else. It's this clarity that made the project such a success, and the reason it's still here ten years on.

“The project was truly transformational for Reach, taking it from a paper-based volunteer matching service that was constrained by available resources to a digital service that could grow at scale, while keeping to a tight budget with a lean team. 

“The launch of the platform in 2015 also meant that when the pandemic hit in 2020, it was perfectly positioned with the ideal service to connect thousands of willing volunteers to help charities of all sizes to face the very many challenges that Covid and lockdowns created. 

“Reach’s growth has been such a success story over the last five years in particular and I’m very proud to have played a part as a trustee during the launch period to help make that happen. Although I’m no longer a trustee, I follow Reach’s progress with great interest and I’m excited to see the new platform upgrade that is launching soon. 

“Although we obviously hoped in 2015 that the new service would blossom and grow, we could not have envisioned the success that Reach has had in encouraging a younger volunteer demographic and growing continuously at a time when other types of volunteering were in decline.   

“I’d like to congratulate everyone who’s contributed to this fantastic achievement and to wish Reach all the best in continuing to make a significant and meaningful difference to the work of charities right across the UK.”