Four year Impetus investment helps charity take transformational leap

Award-winning charity Leap Confronting Conflict has won a £3.2m grant from the Department for Children, Schools and Families to expand its services, as it graduates from the portfolio of Impetus Trust, a leading venture philanthropy in the UK.

Impetus announced that Leap, the 2009 UK Charity of the Year, has nearly quadrupled its revenue during Impetus’ four-year investment, totalling  £535,000 in funding, and expertise valued at £347,000.

“The support provided by Impetus has been crucial for Leap’s growth,” said Jenny Rogers, chief executive of Leap: “Enabling us to establish a national presence, reach greater numbers of young people and become more sustainable.”

Daniela Barone Soares, chief executive of Impetus Trust said, “After four years of Impetus capacity-building support, Leap is now equipped to help raise the aspirations of even more young people, and so help break the cycle of poverty.”

Leap builds the skills of young people to prevent violence and better manage conflict in their lives, schools and communities. Programmes include working with gangs and reducing knife crime.

Last year, Leap directly reached over 5,500 young people, two and a half times as many young people as at the outset of Impetus’ involvement.

The latest Impetus Impact Report says that for each £1 of Impetus funding, they have generated an additional £5 for their portfolio charities.