Independent marketing agency Bastion is partnering with not-for-profit The Reach Foundation to support the mental health of junior staff and the wider community.
The partnership will see Bastion donate 1% of its annual Australian profits to Reach and provide Reach Crew members with access to agency internships and mentorships, including access to senior Bastion staffers.
Plus, provide social and emotional resilience training to all Bastion team members under the age of 30, teaching the tools necessary to help early career staff members to be resilient in the workplace, whilst acknowledging the importance of emotional intelligence and having honest conversations in an agency environment.
The mutually beneficial partnership will operate for an initial two year period, beginning in October to coincide with this year’s Mental Health Awareness month.
Jack Watts group CEO at Bastion said: “The partnership with Reach Foundation is something extremely close to my heart. Reach has been a part of our family since my brother and I were teenagers, and Reach were the very first Bastion Clients 13 years ago.
“This partnership brings that full circle as not only have we been able to support Reach, they are supporting our emerging talent at Bastion by building a Reach Resilience training course for all our young staff.
“Our diverse team includes an incredible group of talented young individuals who worked remotely for two years - many of them in the formative years of their careers. Along with our robust HR policies, the opportunity to provide them with training to help them navigate the challenging parts of our industry is exceptionally important."
A Bastion Mentorship program for Reach Crew members will provide a taste of life working in an agency, with Reach team members mentored by four senior staff members across Bastion in Australia. Reach Foundation crew members will also embark on an internship at Bastion.
Reach Foundation CEO and Bastion founder & chairman Fergus Watts said the initiative would provide valuable experience and insights to crew members who often begin their careers in The Reach Foundation without prior experience in other workplaces.
“Obviously the connection between Reach and Bastion for me is completely intertwined, and to now make it an official partnership between both organisations is terrific.
"Exposure to senior individuals across a workplace like Bastion is priceless for our crew members who are exceptional facilitators and building other skills in their developing careers.
"I know our facilitators will seize the opportunity to build both workplace knowledge and life skills through this unique opportunity. Just like I did developing as a Reach Facilitator two decades ago before starting Bastion."
Additionally, all Bastion employees and Reach staff will be able to use each other’s respective workspaces to expand and improve their understanding of the way the two organisations work for the duration of the partnership.
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