THE STORIES OF REACH
The Reach Foundation
“The ability to understand why you feel, how you feel and what is driving you, can only come about if you’ve developed the emotional muscle to be emotionally intelligent.
Once you do that, life becomes much easier”
- FERGUS WATTS
SYNOPSIS
We followed the journeys of three extraordinary young people, from different walks of life who started their chapter at Reach very much the same - with all of their walls up. Now leading their own mental health workshops for the next generation, their stories encapsulate the groundbreaking work that Reach facilitates and how it impacts the lives of young people every single day.
CHALLENGE
There’s a common misconception that Reach’s mental health workshops and programs are only suitable for young people who’ve come from broken homes or have experienced trauma, when in reality, all young people can benefit from Reach’s work. Young people often struggle to feel comfortable in their own skin, facing the exhausting task of balancing authenticity and acceptance.
Despite the significant impact of Reach’s programs, schools and community groups may overlook the importance of providing young people with opportunities for genuine connection and self-empowerment. Reach needed a compelling way to demonstrate their transformative impact and advocate for broader integration of their programs in youth development initiatives.
APPROACH
Through unscripted interviews and archival footage, including clips of Co-Founder Jim Stynes, we highlighted the transformations facilitated by Reach’s programs through the lived experiences of three young individuals, who were all grappling with completely different struggles, including identity, masculinity and grief.
Our approach emphasised the importance of early exposure to Reach’s empowering workshops, illustrating how these experiences help young people build resilience to tackle the hard stuff life throws at you. This narrative underscores the need for schools and community groups to incorporate Reach’s programs to inspire self-belief and personal growth in young people.
