An update on Reach Out 2 Kids
31 July 2024
We at ROK are incredibly proud of the impact we have had on the lives of the children and young people we have supported over the last 13 years.
Through our work with schools, colleges, universities and our corporate partners, we have helped to transform the lives of thousands of young students from diverse communities, connecting them with career opportunities that they may not otherwise have been able to access.
Like many charities, however, ROK has found the funding landscape increasingly challenging over the past year, and unfortunately, our current financial situation is unsustainable in the long term.
It is for this reason that the Board of Trustees have taken the decision to pause all ROK’s operations for a period of six to nine months. We will use this period to focus entirely on fundraising activity, with the support of specialists who have been engaged specifically to support us to seek and obtain funding from a range of diverse sources.
It is with deep regret that as a result of our current lack of funding, ROK founder and CEO Denise Stephenson has offered her resignation, which the Trustees have sadly had to accept. Denise said: “Whilst this is a sad and difficult picture, we have to reflect on the positives: all that we have achieved and the impacts we have made for children and young people so far. That is not only for us to reflect on as a charity, but also our partners who have provided such fantastic support to help us do what we do.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my incredible ROK family: the Trustees, Ambassadors and volunteers, as well as the wonderful friends of ROK – our schools and corporate partners – who have made the past 13 years possible. I am hopeful that this will continue in the future and that together, we can continue to work to impact and change lives, the face of the workplace and the experiences of those children and young people from racially diverse and lower income backgrounds for the betterment of all.”
We have been in touch directly with our partners and will continue to keep them updated on our fundraising progress over this period.
We would be happy to speak to any individuals or organisations who are in a position to support ROK with contributions towards our long-term sustainability during this focused fundraising period. If this would be of interest, please contact Edward Flood, Chairman of Board of Trustees, at edward.flood@ro2k.co.uk.
At ROK, our motto is ‘Believe, Achieve, Succeed’, and it is our belief that the decision we have taken, while difficult, will help ensure that ROK is able to remain operational, and continue our vital work supporting children and young people to achieve their career aspirations, long into the future.
The ROK Board of Trustees