Contact us

0845 130 6225 or 020 3478 0100 or click here.

Helping children with upper limb differences live life without limits

  • Ideas for fundraising
    • Fundraise for Reach
    • How to donate to Reach
    • Fundraising stars
  • Who are Reach?
    • Children show us what makes Reach awesome!
    • Who are Reach?
    • Become a Branch Coordinator
    • Reach Brand Guidelines
    • Vision, Governance & Policies
    • Research Resources
      • Partner Organisations
  • Upper limb difference
    • Causes of Congenital Hand Differences (CHDs)
    • Is surgery an option?
    • Writing from experience: ‘5 Tips on how I got to acceptance with my limb difference’
    • What is it like to live with one arm?
  • Early years
    • Early years
    • What to expect: referrals and appointments
    • Your first visit to a Limb Centre
    • Car seat adaption
  • Disability Living Allowance
    • Can I claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA)?
    • Transfering to Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
  • School years
    • Starting school
    • Dealing with questions
    • Starting school – a teacher’s perspective
    • Dealing with issues at school
    • Riding a bike
    • Teacher training & classroom resources
  • Learning to drive
    • Joseph passing his driving test
    • Apply for a Reach Bursary
  • Helping kids explore their musical talents
    • One Handed Recorder and Scissor Kits to hire
    • Nicolas McCarthy – one handed pianist
    • Single Handed Clarinet
    • I Can…..
  • Checkout
  • Hire Equipment from us
  • Newsletter & Blogs
    • Inspirational WithinReach Blogs
    • Within Reach downloadable PDF’s
    • Privacy and Cookie Policy
  • Reach: Insights #NoLimits Webinar Series
  • Reach’s Inspirational Speakers
    • Young Adult Reach Member stories
    • Videos of members, trustees and staff
You are here: Home / Home Top (1) / Reach for the Stars with the Reach oRchestRa

Reach for the Stars with the Reach oRchestRa

2nd May 2020 Deborah B

The 2.6 challenge (organised by the London Marathon to ‘Save UK Charities’)  has bought out the musical talents of a very special group of people who are all members of a charity called Reach.

Clare Salters, Reach’s chair, decided to pull together as many Reach members as possible who play an instrument, to create a virtual orchestra to play Reach Charity’s theme tune – ‘Reach for The Stars’.

The orchestra is made up of 32 Reach members, aged 3 to 70, from 14 places across the UK, music comes from a professional Harpist to a retired hand surgeon playing Violin, Trumpets to Drums, Flutes to Ukulele’s, Euphoniums to Guitar and Bass guitars, Recorders, Tenor horns, Cello, Oboe Clarinets, Cornets and little Arthur age 3 – working hard on the Tambourine!

Clare pulled the videos together and edited the music. Clare told us “I’m really delighted that there has been so much support for the project, especially in the Reach community but also beyond.  I’ve always felt that music was the best way to connect with people, and that has certainly been the case here.  The kids – and their families – have really got behind the project, both because they wanted to enjoy the music but also because they wanted to support Reach.  I’m really proud of what we have been able to achieve together.

Like most charities, Reach is heavily dependent on fundraising in order to keep operating.  This year’s movement restrictions across the UK and Ireland mean that our traditional sources of income have temporarily dried up – no London marathon or other major sporting events that are our usual bread and butter.  We have been excited to be involved in the 2.6 Challenge, and it has been great to see the willingness of people across the Reach community to come together to find ways of helping secure funding for our charity.  

There is a lot that is special in that video – the collective whole, the individual journeys that each of the children have been on to prepare their part (easy for some, mammoth achievement for others).  But for me the most magical moment comes at the end, when everyone shouts ‘I said Reach!’.  You can hear the love in their voices, and see it on the faces of children, siblings, parents who know what a difference Reach has made to their lives.  That’s why our fundraising is so important.  We need to ensure that we can continue to make that difference for other children for many years to come.

Reach oRchestRa member Harry Pepper told us “I’m really excited to be part of the Reach virtual orchestra and I hope that by coming together we can make people happy and show people that, whilst having one hand may mean we play our instruments a bit differently, we can create something special and inspiring that people will enjoy. Reach means a lot to me because it gives me a sense of belonging. I’ve made friends who have a disability like me and understand how I feel and can give me advice on how to do things I may be struggling with and this has helped me be more confident.”

Trustee Ruth Lester, a retired hand surgeon who has recently signed up to return to the NHS to help with the Coronavirus pandemic said ““ I am so privileged to have been part of this Reach Family Orchestra – but to see all the children involved is just fantastic – many tears all round! A huge Thankyou to all parents, children and our ‘extras’ – but especially to Clare for the imagination and dealing with the technical challenge.”

Lee Gwiliam, (vice chair)” My son Ewan and I are so proud to have been part of this project. Reach has given not just Ewan, but also my wife and I so much over the past 10 years, it is fantastic to be able to give something back. Small charities at the best of times rely on fundraising support; now more so than ever and Reach is no exception. I hope this project demonstrates the positivity and togetherness of our charity and helps Reach to raise much needed funds.

If people would like to donate to Reach please follow this link. https://www.justgiving.com/team/Reach-oRchestRa

Featured News, Home Top (1)

Type in a word and search the website

Donate via PayPal

Donate via JustGiving

Join Reach

Get social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Instagram

View on Instagram

Meet the bloggers

Watch & read experiences from some of our incredible community
Woman with limb difference goes on self-love journey, ‘Being different is amazing’

“The positive power of being different” - Baylee Abbott

"If I Can" Film made by Anoushe Husain

Born Without a Hand

Though she be but little
(please note these link to 3rd party sites)

Our Address

C/o TEH, Pearl Assurance House, Brook Street, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0BN Charity numbers: England and Wales: 1134544, Scotland: SC049805. Company Limited by Guarantee. 07054164

Email us

reach@reach.org.uk

Get Social with us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 ·

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy