Charity enabled to reach higher
Nationwide, there are thousands of professionals who contribute their skills for free to the ‘Third Sector’. Many charities benefit enormously from this professional expertise and would struggle to continue without it.
But where do the charities source this much-needed expertise? London-based charitable organisation ‘Reach’ (www.reachskills.org.uk/) offers a unique service whereby skilled career people who are willing to donate their time are recruited and placements found for them in the voluntary sector where their services are urgently needed.
Despite being a relatively small organisation, Reach works with a huge range of voluntary groups nationwide and with thousands of skilled volunteers. Last year Reach placed 1,100 skilled volunteers in 700 organisations across the UK. Annually, over 10,000 groups benefit from the expertise that Reach volunteers offer.
Originally the organisation was founded to find placements for retired professionals but it has developed to include volunteers of all ages, skills and backgrounds – many of whom recognise that work of this nature will prove beneficial in their careers.
As the demand for Reach’s services increases, awareness of the organisation needed enhancing in order to attract more volunteers. The project would include a new corporate identity, website and an advertising campaign.
With a strong reputation for branding, CBA Design & Marketing were approached to undertake the design work on the new identity. The brief for the project was to “help provide a platform for a desired rejuvenation and a strengthening of the organisation’s profile, range of activity, sustainability, and operating success over the next 3-5 years”. Additionally, the identity had to be flexible to allow for the incorporation of potential sub-brands.
Consultations with management, volunteers, trustees and clients proved invaluable in formulating a range of initial ideas that were then presented to a Branding Workshop that was held on the South Bank in February. Further development work was then undertaken and a final decision on the preferred option was made at a Trustees meeting in March.
The design features a graphic that aims to illustrate giving and receiving. The colour scheme used was a major departure from the bright orange in the previous identity and was created to reflect the more ‘commercial’ approach that organisation wanted to pursue.
The final identity offers Reach the ability to continue to focus on the voluntary and public organisations and to also present a more professional, business-like image. It will also allow for the adjustment and refinement of its offering and delivery approach to respond to distinct groups of users or clients.