What we do

Leap works directly with young people struggling with conflict and trains the adult professionals working with them. We research the issues facing young people today and use our insights to influence policy and practice.

  • Support for young people

    Helping young people transform their lives
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  • Training for adults who work with young people

    Building confidence and skills of professionals
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  • Major projects & research

    Understanding issues facing young people and society
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Why it works

Our approach

is underpinned by our belief in young people’s ability to use the tools we give them to shift their thinking and behaviour, and transform their lives

Our curriculum

Created through action research and honed through 30 years’ experience in the voluntary sector,  education sector, local communities, youth offending services and prisons

Our trainers

We have outstanding trainers with immense experience in this field. Around a third of them have worked with us for over 10 years

Our participants

Bring courage and a willingness to open up about their experiences and take risks that allow them to work on their own relationship with conflict

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Why we exist

Conflict is something we all experience in our lives, but badly managed conflict can have a devastating and wide reaching impact on society.

We need conflict. We need it to have healthy relationships, to work well with others, and to develop, grow and learn. However, badly-managed conflict can undermine identity, self-esteem and aspirations, and can lead to antisocial or violent behaviour.

But we know that no one’s life and future are set in stone and we believe in the potential of every young person, no matter their history. That’s why we support young people to turn their lives around.

We give them the encouragement - and the push - to recognise their worth and ability to take control of their own life. We help young people to draw on their own skills and abilities, and see the benefits of making different decisions which lead to better outcomes: for them and those around them.

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Our impact

By taking part in our training, young people gain the skills and personal resources to understand, manage and resolve conflict. This positively affects many areas of their lives including their relationships and decision-making abilities. They adopt new ways of thinking and behaving, are better placed to support peers in dealing with conflict and become leaders in their communities.

We have the greatest impact when our programmes reach not only young people but also those who work with them. By learning more about their own relationship with conflict, adult professionals become more confident and better equipped to respond to young people’s needs. They gain tools and techniques for direct use when helping young people deal with challenging emotions.

By successfully helping young people manage destructive conflict our communities become less violent and safer for us all. 

Louis' story

I always wondered why out of nearly 600 kids I seemed to be the only one that got bullied. Then one day I punched back. I felt instant relief. Nearly 7 years of bullying stopped from one violent action.

Some of our numbers

750+

In 2016, we delivered our programmes to 759 young people and 706 adult practitioners

90%

agreed that the course helped them learn how to resolve conflict

77%

stated that they had become more aware of positive relationships

94%

were in employment, education or training. 77% said that the course gave them the skills to succeed at this

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Support Us

Our income comes from a variety of sources, including trusts and foundations, major donors, and corporate supporters. We also sell our training to organisations including, charities, prisons and companies as part of our social enterprise model. By having a diverse range of funding sources we are making sure our future is as sustainable as possible. Find out more about how you can support us. 

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