If you are currently studying in a PR / journalism or comms-related course, or have recently completed your studies, then we would be delighted to discuss a work experience opportunity. We're passionate about providing opportunity to those looking to kick-start their careers in this world. Ultimately, we believe that hands-on experience is priceless on a CV. Remember to really look at what we do and make sure that we are the right fit for you, and your career aspirations. Location: Newhaven, East Sussex (you will learn more from being in the office) Duration: TBA - long or short, happy to discuss (min 4x weeks recommended) When: Immediate What: Media relations, social media management, graphic design, video editing, copywriting To apply, send an email to hello@newreach.uk to tell us about yourself and why you want to join team New Reach.

Sport for development charity Greenhouse Sports has appointed New Reach PR to drive positive media profile in 2024. The East Sussex-based communications agency will be working closely with the charity over the next year to support its new strategy, following the launch of ‘Greenhouse 2.0+ - The Way Forward’. Greenhouse Sports is a charity that uses sports coaching and mentoring to empower young people who are facing disadvantage and help them to unlock their full potential. Operating in London for more than 20 years, and now with recently established programmes in Portsmouth and Leicester, Greenhouse Sports works with around 8,000 youngsters every year in over 70 coaching programmes across basketball, table tennis, volleyball, tennis and cricket. Sport and social impact communications agency New Reach specialises in delivering impact through PR, social media and video and has been brought in by Greenhouse Sports to deliver traditional PR and media relations support to reach and engage new and existing stakeholders with the charity’s new vision and mission. Greenhouse Sports’ Head of Communications, Ben Wyatt, said: “We are delighted to have Nick and New Reach joining our ‘Team for Life’ to support our urgent need and ambitious goals to reach a wider and influential audience and affect real change for the young people and communities Greenhouse Sports coaches support. The rising tide of poverty in the UK is increasing the mental, physical and emotional burden on the young people’s development. Pressures that our coaches work to alleviate day in and day out. “New Reach have expertise and a proven track record in delivering extensive media engagement and landing the narratives and storylines to evidence how sport and the kind of work Greenhouse Sports does has a lasting and transformational effect on young people, their families and society as a whole.” New Reach has a track record of working with charities in the sport for good sector, including the likes of London Youth Rowing, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Restart Rugby, London Sport, Hampshire Cricket Foundation and more, delivering powerful media coverage, social media and video content. Nick Rewcastle, Managing Director and Founder at New Reach added: “The work being done by Greenhouse is transforming lives in some of the poorest communities in the country. Greenhouse’s impact in London over the last two decades is now being expanded and made available to other communities, and storytelling is a vital part of this journey. “We know the powerful role that strategic comms can play in this space, driving further opportunity for growth. We are extremely passionate about the work being done by Greenhouse and can’t wait to become a part of the team.”

After a successful first year of engagement, The Ageas Bowl has retained the services of New Reach PR for another 12 months. New Reach entered an initial year-long agreement at the end of 2022 with The Ageas Bowl to support with driving powerful media coverage, the development of the venue and club’s communications strategy, working closely with the existing team. Sport and social impact communications agency New Reach will now focus in 2024 on driving continued media coverage across national and regional media outlets, delivering important key messaging for the venue, Hampshire Cricket, Southern Vipers and the club’s community departments. In the first year of engagement New Reach generated nearly 1,000 pieces of important media coverage across cricket, commercial, community and venue related activities. Greig Stewart, Head of Customer Experience at The Ageas Bowl, said: “New Reach are fantastic storytellers and have brought a new energy and focus to our comms plan and content creation. A great group of people to work with, they have created positive relationships across the Club and their positive attitude to relationship building is evident in the highly engaged network of writers and broadcasters they have given us access to. “Over the 12-months we have been working with Nick and the team our local and national reach has significantly increased across broadcast and written press.” Nick Rewcastle, Managing Director and Founder at New Reach added: “Being originally from Hampshire myself, the chance to work with The Ageas Bowl was hugely exciting and over the last year that excitement grew as we uncovered the incredible work being done at all levels within the business. “At New Reach, we work with businesses that care and provide powerful impact in their operations, so working with the right partners like The Ageas Bowl is perfect for us. We look forward to another busy year working in cricket.” Photo credit: Dave Vokes

New Reach Managing Director, Nick Rewcastle, formerly worked in professional rugby before founding the agency. In the wake of rugby’s ongoing mental health emergency, Nick has penned his thoughts. Sport is in a crisis, and I’m not entirely sure it recognises it. Why? Because this crisis has been in existence for years. One of the worst-hit sports is rugby. It’s in a mental health crisis, and it’s sadly no surprise. In the wake of the financial disaster the sport has experienced, the emerging ongoing challenges people are faced with around head injuries, busy playing schedules, social media and elite sporting pressures, it’s a tough time to be involved in the game. England captain Owen Farrell has bravely taken the decision to step-aside for the time being from playing international rugby, and subsequently choosing to miss the 2024 Six Nations. If the team’s captain is in a position where he has no choice but to do so, how can more not follow? A sentiment shared by Bristol and England prop Kyle Sinckler who believes that more players will follow in Farrell’s footsteps in an attempt to protect their mental health. But is the state of the game the sole reason for players, past and present, needing to manage their mental health? Absolutely not. This abhorrent abuse on social media needs to stop. We need more regulation online. Farrell cited the abuse online as a core factor in his decision, alongside media coverage. Even the treatment towards referees online has forced the likes of Wayne Barnes and fellow colleagues out of the game. It’s not worth the abuse and threats – nothing is. Unfortunately, sport is hard, and being a sportsperson is hard. So, more support is needed. And whilst the game is getting there, it’s not where it needs to be. We’ve been working with the wonderful Restart , the official charity of the Rugby Players Association, and the work they do is phenomenal in providing mental health support to players, past and present. But they can’t do it alone, more work is needed from the unions and clubs to look after players. And more funding! More players need to be advocating for mental health, like we have seen with Farrell, Sinckler and the likes of James Haskell and Joe Marler over the years. Mental health need not be taboo anymore in rugby, or sport as a whole. In the last couple of years, four teams have vanished from the top two flights of domestic rugby in England. Over 200 players have had their worlds turned upside down with devastating diagnoses of brain injuries as a result of playing the game they love. Rugby is in an existential crisis which has been building for over a decade now. Support those trying to help the ones that need it the most. Come on rugby, protect your people.

Nick Rewcastle, managing director of New Reach PR, outlines in SportsPro how the FIA’s attempts to ban drivers from making political statements will have a devastating impact for the sport. After considerable progress in very recent years, athletes have finally been given platforms to have a voice, discuss vital social and humanitarian issues and raise awareness for causes close to them. After decades of resistance, and finally breakthrough, it would be disastrous for the walls to be rebuilt and athletes to be silenced. Could the International Automobile Federation (FIA) be waving the red flag on its own sport, following in the footsteps on Fifa, soccer’s governing body, during the recent World Cup? The FIA, the governing body for Formula One, is due to issue further guidelines to clarify the meaning of its new rule banning drivers from making political statements. In recent weeks, we have seen the likes of Lando Norris, George Russell and Sir Lewis Hamilton speak out against the FIA’s rule. Seven-time world champion Hamilton is arguably one of the highest-profile and most successful sporting names to regularly drive purpose-led conversation across topics ranging from human rights to lifestyle choices. The British driver’s Instagram bio doesn’t state his success on the track, instead reading: ‘🌱 based. Living my purpose. Empowering those who may not realise their greatness. Equal rights for all. Love is love.’ The impact that Hamilton has had alone will not only have supported millions of people in hearing such a high-profile name address issues that resonate with them, but it also will have helped increase the commercial value of the sport through purpose-led brand advocacy. The power of the athlete voice is second to none, delivering emotional and commercial value across the world. Some racing commentators believe that Hamilton’s activism has been the catalyst for the FIA’s decision, which was implemented earlier this year. The rule forbids ‘the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its statutes, unless previously approved in writing.’ As expected, human rights groups are up in arms, and have been over recent weeks, but only now are we hearing directly from those directly impacted: the drivers. The FIA will no doubt have its reasons, likely citing commercial constraints and the stability of the sport. But the political landscape of the FIA, with the controversial Mohammed Ben Sulayem as its president, raises alarm bells. Whilst Ben Sulayem earlier this month announced that he would be taking a step back from direct involvement in Formula One, his tenure in the role has so far damaged the integrity of the sport. His string of controversial decisions are accentuated by the lack of support from the Formula One itself, which is committed to providing a platform to raise awareness of issues around diversity and human rights. Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali has come out to say that the series would “never gag drivers”. Despite the two bodies sharing the responsibility of running the hugely popular and commercial sport, unity appears to be some way off. This breakdown has the power to devastate the sport. Without free speech for drivers, the sport will lose its talent who will perhaps seek new opportunities elsewhere in motorsport, which is seeing substantial growth as a whole. Without advocacy and purpose, many fans, groups and ultimately commercial partners will drop off. It’s not a world where voices can be silenced anymore – Fifa saw that last year, and the FIA is heading down a potentially destructive route. What is reassuring to see is the harmony amongst drivers, teams and Formula One, who now seek answers from the FIA into what the “confusing” ruling actually means for them.

Sport and social impact communications agency New Reach PR has been appointed by LimeLight Sports Club to support with driving publicity for six of its annual events. New Reach PR will be generating positive profile through earned media coverage and driving the narrative across the following events: • Hackney Half • Blenheim Palace Triathlon • ASICS London 10k • London Triathlon • London Duathlon • Oxford Half The agency, founded in 2021, has risen in prominence over the last two years and is becoming recognised as a world-leading communications agency specialising in telling powerful stories of sport and purpose. New Reach PR has worked with the likes of Laureus, EFL, BPA, England Squash, London Sport, Commonwealth Games England and many more. Commenting on the announcement, Managing Director of New Reach PR, Nick Rewcastle said: “LimeLight Sports Club is a brand with important values and is trying to redefine mass participation events across the country. These events represent communities and are looking to provide an inclusive, diverse and accessible approach to unite and promote health and mental wellbeing through these powerful sporting events. This is why we are confident that working with LimeLight Sports Club matches with our values and we are extremely excited to be joining them for this year.”

2022 proved to be the ‘bounce-back’ year for sport following the pandemic, and even grew on 2021 – the year that we dubbed as being the ‘Year of Purpose’. With the highs of record-breaking crowds and viewership and the lows of political controversy, this year in sport will go down in history as one of the most memorable. We’ve shared 10 key moments that helped to define sport in 2022. 1. The Lionesses roar In May, shortly after we launched our Purpose of Your Sport campaign, we examined women’s sport. We mentioned sold-out crowds at Camp Nou and the poignant sponsorships and broadcasting deals set to help with increasing visibility, participation and growth. And while we had seen an impressive amount of growth then, no one could have foreseen what would happen to women’s sport over the summer. I am sure we are all in agreeance that the Lionesses are firm favourites to take the team gong at SPOTY this year, marking the highlight of sport in 2022, but it respresents so much more than a great moment on the pitch – the impact off the grass was dynamic. Over a quarter of those that watched the Euros final went on to watch more women’s sport whilst other sports also benefited with 46% of those new viewers going on to watch cricket as well as football. Also, average attendances in the Women's Super League have increased by 200% after England's triumph at Euro 2022. 2. Red Roses suffer heartbreak, but bring us hope The growth of women’s sport has not just been exclusive to football. The Women’s Rugby Union World Cup saw 42,000 people at Eden Park 1.7 million people tuning into ITV to watch the final despite its 6:30 am start time. Robert Kitson’s article in The Guardian highlighted the position women’s rugby is in right now with the prospect of having a sold-out Twickenham in 2025 a real possibility. According to the article, around 70% of fans in New Zealand were new, suggesting that the game is seeing genuine growth. Of course, it was heartbreak for the Red Roses, narrowly losing out in the final, but what the tournament has done for the sport globally is monumental. 3. Inclusivity wins The Rugby League World Cup had both men, women and wheelchair tournaments happening simultaneously, witnessing a huge influx of crowds and visibility. Having all three tournaments at the same time meant that both the Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments were able to get similar attention to the Men’s. A key theme for this year has been around focusing on growth in diversity and inclusion across sport. There’s no doubting that the Rugby League World Cup ticked those boxes through its record-breaking tournament, delivering on its promise to be the biggest, best and most inclusive in the sport’s history. Some of the highlights include: Every minute of every match from all three tournaments was broadcast live by the BBC with a cumulative match average audience of 29.24 million people tuning in domestically across network and digital channels. The Wheelchair final between England and France, was watched by a combined peak audience of 1.3 million people, with a world record crowd of more than 4,500 40% of the TV audience share was female, while 37% of the overall viewers were under the age 55. Encouragingly 46% of the viewership was based south of the Midlands, outside of the traditional rugby league heartlands The women’s final between Australia and New Zealand was watched by nearly a million viewers in the UK 4. The changing of the tennis guard Tennis experienced a monumental year. Both Serena Williams and Roger Federer decided that this year would be their last on court. While change at the top of the sport has allowed newcomers to shine, we also witnessed continued criticism of Emma Raducanu as people focused more on her brand deals rather than her tennis playing. Tennis has widely been seen as a relatively privileged sport that has created accessibility issues. Through our own blog here at New Reach , we highlighted the significance of affordable facilities. Furthermore, The Independent has reported that Amazon Prime will be reinvesting some of its earnings from Emma Raducanu’s US Open final, into grassroots tennis for young girls. Only time will tell how much of an impact this will have on the growth of the game. 5. It’s a Brum-ting How could we not include the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games? Simultaneously, landing on the same year as London 2012’s 10-year anniversary, the legacy of multi-sport tournaments was a big theme of the year. Birmingham hosted a show-stopping event, rooted in the goal of building a legacy for the city and has invested considerably into its legacy programme. However, while these Commonwealth Games were widely deemed a success in the short term, whether this success continues, is what so many tournaments have struggled to produce. As for London 2012, despite its ‘inspire a generation’ catchphrase, the city has not seen significant improvement in participation in sport. Without this improvement, we must continue to question the positive community of multi-sport tournaments and hold them accountable for their unfulfilled legacies. 6. The Q word From one major tournament to another, the sporting year has come to an end with a unique winter FIFA World Cup. Talking about the legacy of this tournament, it is likely to go down as one of the most controversial sporting events in history. From human rights violations, including the treatment of migrant workers and the anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the host nation Qatar, this tournament has highlighted one thing in particular – that sport and politics can never truly be separate. Even if you are FIFA and want it to be. For many, the combination of sport and politics may be difficult, but it has to be said that tournaments like this have great power in influencing important values to the masses. When talking about the purpose of sport, we must also talk about the politics of sport. To look more into this, take a look at our MD’s piece in SportsPro, analysing the ‘FIFA-Crisis’. 7. The Winter Olympics and Paralympics Beijing 2022 kicked off the year of human rights controversy in sport and piled huge pressure on the IOC. Human rights, commercial worries and diplomatic boycotts dominated, while there were also climate change concerns with events made completely from manufactured snow. However, the event saw a televised and digital audience of over two billion, highlighting a continued appetite for Olympic broadcast coverage in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, with more hours of coverage available than at any other edition of the Winter games. Could this increased appetite also be centred around the increase coverage as a result of the controversy, or is the love of winter sport just on the rise? 8. The year of Sportswashing The term sportswashing seems to be the big word for 2022 … so much so that it has also been used in the list of Collins Words of the Year. Sportswashing refers to organisations which use sporting activities to enhance or rehabilitate their image. The term involves using major sporting competitions to shade or distract from unacceptable policies or human rights abuses. Sportswashing has recently been a key topic for media discussion with news that complaints have been lodged in five countries against FIFA’s branding of the Qatar World cup as carbon-neutral. Global football stars and sporting organisations have demanded that FIFA ditch its 'carbon neutral' claim and replace its current plans with a more responsible approach that prioritises reducing emissions. While big sport gains big money from authoritarian regimes wanting to buy into the soft power of sport, the issue is being moved further up the agenda by activists, including the athletes themselves. So, human rights activists and other critics are coining this term for these moves by deep-pocketed regimes to launder their reputations by sponsoring major sporting events or entities with global appeal – for the good of their business, as opposed to for genuine good. For the laundromats involved, the practice is without doubt good for business, bringing in once unimaginable windfalls. Formula One’s 10-year deal with Saudi Arabia is reportedly worth $650 million. FIFA was roundly denounced when it awarded this year’s World Cup to Qatar back in 2010, but the petrostate is reportedly spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the tournament and it has become a generous all-purpose benefactor of the sport’s governing body. While sportswashing calls out the practice of using sport to cover up abuse such as the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, which became part of Nazi propaganda, it seems rifer than ever. Will 2023 bring in better policing and governance to come down hard on sportswashing, greenwashing and any other types of ‘dirty laundry’ in sport? 9. Russia and Sport Russia was banished from international sport following its invasion of Ukraine. The nation was already suffering reputational damage and sporting limitation as a result of its long-standing systemic history with doping allegations, but this year saw Russia isolated from nearly every sporting event as humanitarian issues took over. Sport has always been of great national pride to Russia, but the future of its role in global sport is well and truly in doubt, as Russia’s political actions play a role in its sporting demise. How will the world of sport continue to respond to Russia in 2022 and beyond? It’s integral that politics and humanity take precedent. Sport has a role to play in supporting Ukraine, as we have seen in so many instances, bringing positive impact to those that need it the most and using its platform to unite and support. 10. The 2022 Laureus Sport For Good Index We round up this year’s list with a list, of sorts. New Reach PR was honoured to again support Laureus with the 2022 Laureus Sport For Good Index, a global list of the brands which use sport to tackle key challenges within society and the environment. The 2022 Index includes global giants Nike, Visa, Microsoft and Google. Also making the list are EA Sports, Patagonia, Lego and Nissan, along with niche brands Hylo Athletics and sunglasses manufacturer SunGod. While measures continue to be taken by brands to decrease their emissions and shrink their ecological footprint dominated the inaugural 2021 Index, this year’s edition demonstrated a vast increase in brands treating each element of the triple bottom line equitably. The full 2022 Laureus Sport For Good Index is available here.

Football has been the world's largest sport for centuries. With roughly five billion fans worldwide according to FIFA, its popularity is unrivalled. It also remains one of the most accessible at grassroots level, with an array of sessions, groups and clubs available, and all you need is a ball and some green space to have a ‘kick-about’. There are an incredible 18,500 clubs in England and 11 million players . In turn, the sport’s accessibility has provided some of the biggest names in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was originally from a modest neighbourhood in Funchal, Portugal, recently came out top of the list on SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable athletes in the world in 2022, joined by 16 fellow footballers on the list, highlighting the sport’s dominance. With this level of profile, it has provided these footballing sensations with the platform to raise awareness for, and discuss, important social and humanitarian issues. Ronaldo, for example, famously removed the Coca-Cola from the press conference desk to promote water and healthier lifestyles. Ronaldo’s Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford is one footballer that exemplifies what it means to use your social influence for good. His work during the pandemic providing children with free school meals shows how we are seeing the sport use its high profile to provide for others. As well as role models in the men’s game, we are also now seeing women’s stars emerging. The success of the Lionesses in the recent European Championships has significantly increased the profile of England women’s stars and the lionesses have transformed what success within women's sports looks like. The Euros final was the largest crowd ever seen for the tournament with an incredible 87,192 people watching. Not only was England’s win one for the sporting history books, but it is now driving meaningful and long-term change within women’s football, and sport as a whole. We are now seeing record attendances being set for Women’s Super League Games and the Lionesses are in a position to speak out on issues that matter most to them, for example, their plea to the Government to enable all girls access to football at school. We are finally seeing more dedicated women’s sport reporters in the national media, and more space in the papers are opening up. Huge transfers including England’s Keira Walsh’s £400,000 transfe r to Barcelona is vastly symbolic of the value teams are putting on female players. We are seeing more in-depth and beneficial conversations around the realities of competing as a woman such as teams changing their kits, so players no longer have to wear white shorts. From one major tournament to another, as this winter we will see the much-anticipated men’s FIFA World Cup take place in Qatar. To say the least, the tournament has faced a lot of criticism. The controversy stems from much more than the winter break required in the UK and the time of year, instead rightly focusing on fundamentally worrying human rights elements surrounding the nation and tournament. There have been shocking accusations of horrendous working conditions for migrant workers who built all the brand new facilities. An article from The Guardian revealed that 6,500 migrant workers have died in the country since being named the hosts. In a country where homosexuality is illegal, LGBTQ+ groups have been outspoken about the human rights violations that this world cup is presenting. As a result, many of the teams competing have started wearing One Love armbands as a subtle form of protest. England, Wales, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland’s captains will all be wearing the armbands as a sign of solidarity. While it is highly unlikely that this act will result in any positive action to reduce the harsh laws in Qatar, but it may encourage further conversation around homophobia in football, at the very least. Football is, and will remain for the foreseeable, the leading global sport – at all levels. Why? Investment seems the obvious, with global sponsorships generating billions of pounds each year and the increased grassroots development opportunities being recognised and acted upon as the game grows on the main stage. It’s not without its controversies and corruption, sadly, and this all needs stamping out, but it’s important to recognise the power the sport now has to promote important causes and have a voice.

Sport and social impact communications agency New Reach PR has been appointed by The Ageas Bowl. New Reach PR will support with raising awareness and celebrating The Ageas Bowl’s activities, the success and impact of Hampshire Cricket, as well as its role and responsibility to the community. The agency, founded in 2021, has risen in prominence over the last 18 months and is becoming recognised as a world-leading communications agency specialising in telling powerful stories of sport and purpose. New Reach PR has worked with the likes of Laureus, EFL, BPA, England Squash, London Sport, Commonwealth Games England and many more. Commenting on the announcement, Managing Director of New Reach PR, Nick Rewcastle said: “This marks a significant moment for New Reach as we enter the exciting world of county cricket courtesy of our partnership at The Ageas Bowl. Through working with Hampshire Cricket and Southern Vipers, we are also given the fantastic opportunity to support the broader non-sporting activities at The Ageas Bowl too, vitally demonstrating positive impact. “There are great things happening at The Ageas Bowl, and now marks the time to tell these important stories and demonstrate its commitment to the community, planet and sport.” Harry Walklin, Head of Marketing, Digital and Communications at The Ageas Bowl said: " The appointment of New Reach coincides with an exciting phase here at The Ageas Bowl with the venue’s transformational redevelopment plans looking to further enhance the amenities on offer to the local community. “The Ageas Bowl is an important community asset, and we look forward to working with New Reach to tell that story.”