upReach Annual Report 2023-24 - Report - Page 27
Unlocking Potential Gala Dinner
In April of 2024, upReach hosted our second Unlocking Potential Gala Dinner, raising an
incredible £84,256.65 in support of our work towards transforming career opportunities for
students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The evening was hosted by Rashwan Grant,
an upReach Alumnus and SSMA winner.
Hosted at The Barbican Conservatory, we welcomed 116 guests who enjoyed a delicious three
course dinner and drinks reception. We held a silent and live auction and had incredible speeches
by our CEO Nick Bent and upReach Alumna, Caitlin Morgan.
Caitlin shared her story and the lasting impact that upReach has had on her life, as well as her
dedication to paying forward for the next generation of young people following in her footsteps.
I found upReach in 2016 after googling ‘how to know what job you want’... The result
of that panicked googling was an introductory chat with Stephanie… who provided me
sustained 1-to-1 support throughout my time on upReach’s programme. It is not an
exaggeration to say that this initial phone call with Stephanie completely altered the
rest of my university experience but also my professional career!
When I joined upReach, it was… just at the point where I could make the most of Spring
Weeks and I managed to get onto the Deloitte Spring Week with lots of application
help. My dad was a gardener and my mum was a support worker in a school, so I had
never really been in a ‘proper of昀椀ce’ before. This experience really opened my eyes to
the prospect of having a professional career and it 昀椀nally felt like I was getting some
kind of sense of direction.
- A quote from Caitlin’s speech at the Gala.
Guests at our Gala Dinner
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