WHO WE ARE
About Us
We are a grassroots charity of longstanding, founded in 1993, that exists to support the aspirations and increase the access to opportunities for young people*.
We are passionate about helping the career prospects of the young people we exist to serve, whether that be the staff, the Trustees or the volunteers. For us this is more than just a job, we firmly believe that every young person should have the chance succeed, no matter the family they were born into or the area they grew up in. Our commitment to you is that we will always do the best we can for you and that we will always do the right thing, and be honest and ethical.
We don’t do what we do alone and are grateful the support of the donors, funders, partners, government organisations and other charities, who are part of the solution with us. Our plan is to work with a network of independent community organisations from across the country, to help them further support the young people in their vicinity too.
Young People* – Young people from less-advantaged backgrounds, please contact us to see if you are eligible.
Our History:
We were founded
We started in a small office in Harlesden, as a project to help disadvantaged unemployed people from Brent into employment.
We launched STRIVE
We launched STRIVE, a programme adapted from the American model which meant we became one of the first organisations in the UK to focus on attitude and behaviour, as opposed to cognitive skills. Our focus on follow-ups and use of therapeutic counselling was an entirely new way of supporting unemployed people from disadvantaged communities.
We gained significant recognition
We gained significant recognition from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills Making The Leap was featured prominently in The Employability Challenge report as an example of good practice.
We changed our name to “Making The Leap”
We felt this better embodied our mission as an organisation: we help our Fellows take the necessary steps to progress in and transform their own lives.
Today
Every month, we equip hundreds of young people with the soft skills they need to succeed. We aim to raise the aspirations and access to opportunities to over 8,000 young people this year alone.
1993
1996
1999
2002
2009
2011
2013
2017
Today
Charitable Status
We become an independent voluntary organisation and registered charity with a remit to serve people in London and elsewhere in the UK.
We moved to Kensal Green
We moved to Harriet Tubman House in Kensal Green, North West London. The new premises also gave us the space to run a community centre, where we provided services to the local area, including a youth club.
We launched our schools programme
We began delivering a new programme aimed at supporting school children. Originally preparing them for work experience, this programme now focuses on teaching pupils the skills and attitudes needed to be successful in education, a work environment, and in life.
The launch of the UK Social Mobility Awards
We successfully launched the UK Social Mobility Awards, an initiative that recognises & celebrates the achievements of UK organisations in their work of advancing social mobility. In our inaugural year we received support from the Prime Minister and participation from many leading organisations.
Values:
These core values represent our guiding principles as representatives of Making The Leap:
Togetherness
Integrity
