Our purpose is to give young people the skills to manage conflict in their own lives, reduce violence in their communities and help lead our society. We believe that no matter the choices they have made or the circumstances they face, every young person has potential and the ability to harness the positive power of conflict. 

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Supporting young people

What is conflict?

 

Conflict is a normal and continuous dynamic.

Every day, we experience conflict within ourselves, in our relationships, and in our communities. When managed well, conflict helps us to be more at ease with ourselves, better able to manage our relationships and better positioned to contribute positively to our communities. Conflict presents us with an opportunity to learn, to change and to grow.

For over thirty years, Leap has designed programmes to transform the way conflict is managed by young people and the adults who support them. By developing creative and adaptable approaches, we support young people to deal with immediate issues, whilst also addressing some of the longer term, systematic patterns of behaviour that lead to violent and destructive expressions of conflict.

Since 2017 our work  has focused on working with young people across four ecosystems. They are young people:

  • growing up in care
  • excluded from mainstream education
  • living in inner-city communities
  • the secure estate

These are young people living in challenging environments, yet who have potential ready to be unleashed. Our programmes provide them with the platform to build on their existing strengths and use their lived experience to become society’s future role models and leaders.

What young people tell us

I get so frustrated when people don't listen 

Sometimes it's just easier to give up

When I get angry - it's over

I have a lot to get angry about - things never seem to go my way

I know I'm a lot for my mum to handle

I'm not a violent person. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed

It's really hard not to get sucked into drama when all your friends are involved

I want people to respect me

I want to be able to help when my friends are going through stuff

Testimonials

“Leap’s training has made me more aware of my own actions. I am more considerate of others, and I am softer as a person. ”

Sherif, Leap graduate and young ambassador 2019-2020

“We are seeing a difference in some of our young people in the way that they think and the way that they process their emotions and that is exactly what we want to happen because wewant our young people to go on and be a success. ”

André, Head of Community Learning Beckmead College and Community Learning Team

Our history

2018

Leap’s Under our Roof Programme delivered seven focus groups - Carnath, Capstone, Become, Break, Tact, Richmond Children in Care Council -  with young people in care and care workers to better understand their key drivers and barriers in building safe and supportive relationships. Later in the year experience Leap trainers and young people came together to design and develop the curriculum which will be piloted in two residential children’s homes from January – March 2019. We were delighted to be shortlisted for Third Sector Awards and congratulate Ahmed Moallim and Jaden Osei-Bonsu for being highly commended for Howard League and UK Youth respectively. 

2017

It was our 30th anniversary and the first year of our 2017-2019 strategy. We launched Power Up!, a project working with young women at risk of gang involvement and exploitation, and researched new programmes working with young people in care and alternative education. We won the CYPNow Children and Young People’s charity of the year award; Natasha Aldonza was awarded the London Youth, Youth Professional of the Year award, and we were highly commended at The Charity Awards. 

2016

In 2016 Leap launched two new initiatives: Peaceful Prisons, an action research project to pilot and evaluate new models for reducing violence in prisons and Leadership and Enterprise, a whole group approach where gang members support each other to make positive changes in their lives

2015

In 2015 our flagship course for young people was rated in the top 10% of programmes evaluated by Project Oracle, London’s first evidence hub on children and youth, funded by the Greater London Authority

2014

In 2014 Leap launched a pilot in partnership with HMPYOI Swinfen Hall that trains teams of inmates and staff to deliver Leap training to other prisoners

2013

In 2013 we launched the first Lighting the Fire – The Leap Annual Excellence awards to recognise the achievements of young people and professionals managing conflict in our communities.

2012

In 2012 Leap wins a National Partners Award from NCVYS for involving young people in the planning and decision making processes of their work.

2009

In 2009, Leap won the overall national Charity of the Year Award, and the award for Children and Young People’s charity of the year.

2008

In 2008, Leap was awarded Pathfinder funding by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and opened its first regional centre in Leeds.

2007

In 2007, we held the first ever National PeerLink Awards that celebrated the achievements of our network of peer mediations and moved to new, larger premises in London’s Finsbury Park.

2006

In 2006, we published our ground-breaking manual, Working with Gangs and Young People. The Institute for Public Policy Research recommended our work in educational institutions and we launched the £1.3 million PeerLink project to promote and support peer mediation

2004

In 2004, New Philanthropy Capital recommended Leap to funders as one of 45 organisations across Britain whose interventions are likely to produce positive, well-targeted results. In the same year, Ofsted recommended that more young people and organisations should have access to Leap’s programmes.

2000

The new charity began ground-breaking work with young people involved in gangs in 2000, and set up the country’s first national network of young mediators (the YMN). Our projects were short-listed for Philip Lawrence Awards and the Whitbread Young Partners Awards.

1998

In 1998, Leap Confronting Conflict was launched as an independent charity.

1987

Leap Confronting Conflict began life as LEAP (Leaveners Experiments in Arts for Peace), established in 1987 by Alec Davison as a project of The Leaveners (Quaker Community Arts Charity). We worked with young unemployed adults, using theatre projects to help them deal with the conflict in their lives.