Reach Volunteering online matching platform

Reach, the skilled volunteering charity, is developing an online platform to increase the number of its volunteers signed up to its matching scheme.

iReach will launch in 2014 and aims to match 10,000 volunteers to charities by the end of its third year. In 2012 just over 1,000 new people registered to volunteer and Reach placed 480 volunteers with charities.

Charities and volunteers will be able to compare each other on the site, and it will also host a number of templates and guides to encourage good practice.

iReach was devised as part of the charity’s drive to cut costs after its funding did not meet the increase in demand for its services. In 2012 it reported a deficit of £68,748 on income of £319,516.

Reach Volunteering was awarded £50,000 from the government’s Innovation in Giving fund to develop iReach and has also received support from IBM and pro bono experts from industry to help develop and test the project.

For further information on Reach Volunteering visit www.reachskills.org.uk.